


Give Me Strength

by TheEffinMitchell



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: A little angst, Character Death, F/F, Mostly friendship, Still really bad at tagging, basically trini unlocks the key to morphing through moments with her friends, follows mostly canon until the docks, pre-Trimberly - Freeform, sorry - Freeform, trimberly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2018-12-14 07:24:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 54,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11778243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEffinMitchell/pseuds/TheEffinMitchell
Summary: [Trini feels the heat rush to her cheeks, working her jaw tensely as she stubbornly avoids the other girl’s eye. It's a little ridiculous, she thinks, how quickly she'd let herself get attached to Kimberly – to Zack and Billy, even Jason too. Maybe it has something to do with their connection as Rangers, or maybe Trini is just getting soft, but there's something about these four that has her so disarmed, wanting and willing to let them in; perhaps not enough to let them through the door, but enough to at least let them stand on her porch and peer through the windows.]Trini dies at the docks in place of Billy, but this story isn't about her death; rather, it's how she learnt to live in the eleven days leading up to it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was going to be a one-shot, but it's actually getting pretty long, so I decided to break it up into more manageable segments. A little inspired by Snow Patrol's "Give Me Strength."

“Stop!”

Trini skids to a halt, arms flaring to keep balance as her sneakers dig into the dirt and gravel, kicking up a cloud of debris as she slides to a stop just inches from the edge of a cliff. Her teeth clench, jaw tensing as she stands there and weighs her options, casting a sidelong glance at the girl behind her. It’s just her luck to be chased up a mountain by none other than Kimberly _fucking_ Hart, Angel Grove’s former golden girl, and by the thundering of footsteps approaching, she knows the boys aren’t that far behind.

“Just… just talk to me,” Kim breathes, and Trini can hear - more than see - when the others arrive, slipping along the rocky terrain as they finally catch up to the two. “You have a coin. We have a coin. We should just talk about this. I mean, we don’t know what this-”

She decides then and there that she isn’t here for this - whatever _this_ is - and vaults across the gorge without second thought, barely able to repress the laugh of sheer _amazement_ as the wind plucks and tears at her clothes. She can hear a faint, “What is wrong with you?” as she lands safely onto the other side, stumbling into the grass before regaining her footing and standing up. So caught up in the hype, Trini turns around to stare at the other teens, a thinly veiled challenge hidden beneath the smug smirk toying at her lips.

There’s four of them and one of her, but Trini notes the chasm between them - finally realizes just how _far_ she’d leapt - and she sincerely hopes none of them are desperate enough to make chase. There’s at least a hundred yards between them, and in spite of herself, she finds herself taking the time to look each one in the face. It’s one thing when _she_ does it - because face it, she’s a no-name nobody, and she doesn’t particularly care what happens to herself - but that doesn’t mean Trini wants others to do the same. After all, these kids probably have families that actually _care_.

“Oh, you’re crazy!” train boy shouts, voice carrying across the canyon. “But so am I!”

Okay, so maybe they aren’t desperate enough, but they sure are _stupid_ , and Trini is so stunned by the declaration, she can do nothing else but watch as he pushes the others aside to create a runway and hurdles full speed towards the ledge. He leaps just as he reaches the end, kicking powerfully against the rock as he launches twenty feet into the air, his long legs pumping as he flies across to the other side. The sun catches her eye as she watches him approach, blinding her to the incoming danger just as he lands on top of her, knocking them both into the ground.

“Hey!” she growls, scrambling to her feet. “Get off of me!”

“I got her!” he groans, weakly grabbing her leg, which she kicks off. “Jump over!” he waves tiredly.

Trini shuffles away, her earlier mood soured after being tackled into the dirt, and plops herself onto an outcrop of boulders to wait for the others. She’s not entirely sure why she stays. Zack isn’t even looking at her anymore, too busy watching Kim and Jason Scott (another household name in Angel Grove) psych themselves up to make the leap, and she could just as easily slip away without notice. She chalks it up to general curiosity, ignoring the tug of worry in her chest as the two make their jump, and doesn’t bother to hide her smile at Jason’s belly flop of a landing. Kimberly helps him up, grabbing him at the elbow and pulling him to his feet, before the two walk towards the edge and shout for Billy to come over.

Trini immediately likens them to a couple of overzealous parents, encouraging their son to take his first steps, beckoning him closer with eager waves. Only, Billy isn’t _actually_ their son (that’d be weird), he can already walk, and Jason and Kim are trying to get him to jump across a football field’s length of _nothing_ when it’s quite obvious he clearly does not want to. Trini knows a thing or two about being forced into things against her will, and just when she decides to speak up and tell them to back off the poor boy, he throws caution to the wind and flings himself off the cliff.

She’s up and on her feet in an instant, fists clenched and muscles coiled, watching intently as Billy flails through the air towards them. He’s moving too much, creating drag that slows his approach, and she knows he’s pretty much screwing up his chances of making it across. Trini tenses, feet slowly sliding into a wider stance, as if she’s somehow gearing up to dash forward and tackle him mid-air. And then what? Hope she hits him with enough force to carry them both back across to the other side?

She feels the strange coin heat up in her front pocket, warm but not uncomfortably so, vibrating gently as if egging her on. She doesn’t know what the hell it wants, and she doesn’t care; an innocent boy is likely leaping to his death, and all Trini can do is wait to see if he falls. Thankfully, he makes it  - _just barely_ \- and dances a little jig that is so rhythmically challenged, Trini can’t help but laugh out loud, high off adrenaline and relief. But then he slips, freezing in a half-wiggle as his foot slips off the edge, and Trini has to look away.

Super strength - check. Increased speed and endurance - check, and check. The ability to fly - no check. Apparently, flight isn’t one of their superpowers, and Billy doesn’t fall so much as he… _plummets_.

Trini’s hand flies to her head as they all rush towards the edge, Jason crying out for the other boy, chanting an anguished mantra of, “No, no, no, no-”.

“Did we just kill that dude?” asks Zack, as he and Jason trade worried glances.

“What do we do?” Kim demands, a clear hint of panic in her voice.

Trini peeks over the edge, just ducking her head over the side of the ledge to catch a glimpse, but pulls back when she realizes she does _not_ want to see a dead body. Instead, she paces, attempting to make sense of what’s just happened. _‘This is my fault,’_ she thinks, heart clenching painfully as the scene plays out in her head. If she hadn’t run, the others wouldn’t have followed, and if they hadn't followed, then _this_ never would have happened.

“This is my fault,” she repeats again, this time beneath her breath.

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoes up through the walls of the cliff, “Hey, guys! You gotta come down here! It’s water! You gotta see this!”

The other three share a relieved stare, and Trini, knowing they’re all safe, decides it’s finally time for her to make an exit. She’s just about to bow out, to walk away while they’re still distracted, but then Zack says he’ll meet them down there, pointing at her as he goes, and makes a comment about someone bringing her down.

“Come on you guys, let’s go!” Jason shouts, motioning for them to follow before whooping in excitement and leaping after the other boy.

Trini grins, watching them jump, but then Kim turns around and her face instinctively falls into its usual scowl. Now that it’s just them, she figures it’s best to leave, since there’s no way Kimberly is gonna chase after her alone, especially when it’s a choice between Trini and the guys. She doesn’t take any offense to it. She’s never been anyone’s first choice in her entire life, and she uses it to her advantage, turning on the heel of her shoe and marching away.

Before she can get far, Kim calls after her in a shaky, uncertain tone. “Uh, hey… could I get a sip of your water? I’m dying.”

Trini is a loner, not an asshole, and so she stops, digging the insulated bottle from her bag before stomping over and handing it to her. “Just don’t finish it,” she warns, briskly.

“Thanks,” Kim replies, eying her apologetically as she adds, “And I’m really sorry.”

Her gaze sharpens, heart skipping a beat. “Sorry for what?” The words are barely past her lips when Kim surges forwards, throws her arms around Trini’s neck, and drags them both over the edge.

She notes two things as they fall: (1) they definitely cannot fly, and (2) she fucking hates Kimberly Hart.

 

* * *

 

So, they’re superheroes.

Or rather, they’re Power Rangers. At least, according to the disembodied floating head on the wall, that’s what they’re called. And it’s their job to protect the Zeo Crystal, a mystical and ancient artifact that is the source of all life on Earth. They’ve been given eleven days to prepare to defend against their first threat, and _none_ of them have a single clue as to what they’re doing.

But no pressure, right?

Trini sighs as she pays for her lunch the day after their first training session, turning to search the cafeteria for an empty table. As usual, it’s a madhouse, students packed in like sardines on their benches, elbow to elbow as they chat and gossip. She spots Billy, Jason, and Kim huddled together in the farthest corner of the room, and wonders briefly if she should join them. She dismisses the thought almost as soon as she thinks it, shaking the idea out of her head as she slowly makes her way towards the exit, fully intent on hiding out beneath the bleachers as she often likes to do.

Just because they’re forced into being a team, that doesn’t automatically make them friends, and Trini doesn’t have many expectations - if any at all - about her relationship to them. She’s become a bit of an expert at keeping her distance, and she fully believes in her own ability to still work effectively as a part of their unit, remaining standoffish but civil during their forced interactions. She’s two steps away from the door, tray balanced on one hand as the other reaches out to push past the double doors, when over the cacophony of teenage chaos, a voice shouts her name.

“Trini!”

She freezes on instinct, shoulders snapping back and her spine going rigid as she straightens up, staring at the wooden door with wide, confused eyes. Her ears twitch, searching out the point of origin, and she’s about tell herself that she’s just imagining things when it happens again.

“Trini!” they call a second time, and this time she recognizes it as Billy. “Trini, hi! Where are you going? Come sit with us! There’s plenty of room!”

She closes her eyes and counts backwards from ten, steeling herself against the headache she knows is already forming at the base of her skull. Double checking just to see that he isn’t talking to anyone else (what? Trini isn’t a _common_ name, but it isn’t entirely _uncommon_ either), she finally turns around and faces their direction, easily spotting the three as the Blue Ranger excitedly flags her down. Offering a weak, fidgety grin, she swallows the miniscule lump of discomfort in her throat, and carefully sets her stuff down on the side of the table just opposite to him.

“Hi, Billy,” she greets, softly, and nods at Jason and Kim in acknowledgement. There’s an odd sort of silence now that she’s here, and Trini has half a mind to make up some excuse to leave, but Billy seems genuinely happy to be in her presence, and she stays if only for him.

“Do you want my cookies?” he asks, as soon as she sits down. He offers her a baggie of chocolate chip, and continues, “I only eat the ones with an even amount of chocolate chips, but I don’t want these to go to waste if I can help it.”

“Oh, uh…” Trini blinks at the bag before reaching out and hesitantly taking them from him. She’s not overly fond of sweets, but she has two younger brothers at home that practically live off the stuff, and she takes any opportunity that she can get to spoil them. “Thank you, I’ll save them for later… they, um… they look really good.”

He beams at her, practically blinding her with his smile, and Trini can only return it with a tight lipped grin of her own. Her eyes flicker towards Jason and Kim, the two remaining silent during the entire exchange, and wonders if they’re only tolerating her presence for Billy’s sake. Breaking eye contact, she focuses instead on her food, tearing into a chicken nugget as she stares at anything else but them. It’s not like she really cares what they think of her, but she’s only human, and awkward silence is still awkward silence.

A few minutes later, a cleared throat catches her attention, and Trini can’t help but look over to see who had done it. Jason’s fist lowers from his mouth, indicating that he had been the one to make the noise, and she raises a single brow in question. His face flushes and he seems flustered, like he isn’t really sure what to say, or how to handle her. Eventually, he manages out a, “So… I didn’t think you’d come yesterday…”

Trini stares at him blankly.

“Uh, what I mean to say,” he goes on, wincing gently as Kim rolls her eyes and nudges him in the ribs, “I had hoped that you would show up, that _all_ of you would show up, that is…  but I guess you were kind of the wild card since it seemed like you didn’t really want anything to do with us, or with the whole… Rita thing…?”

“Is there a question in there, or are you just talking for the sake of talking?” Trini asks boredly, dusting bread crumbs from her fingers.

“Oh, right! No, there’s… there’s definitely a question,” he replies, tripping over his words in his supposed uncertainty. “I guess, um… I was just wondering what made you change your mind?”

Trini shrugs and responds in a nonchalant tone, “I wanted to piss off my mom.” Honestly, she’d had zero intention of returning to the ship after learning the things that were expected of them, but then her mom had slammed the urine cup in front of her during dinner that night. And if you don’t think she’s not above fighting as part of an ancient galactic war _just_ to spite her mother, then you don’t really know her at all.

The other three stare silently in bewilderment, obviously awaiting further explanation, but Trini doesn’t care to elaborate. She pops the last chicken nugget into her mouth, wiping away the greasy breading stuck to her fingertips, and throws the napkin down onto her tray. Gathering her things, Trini slings her backpack over her shoulder and slides off the bench with ease, taking her trash as she stands.

“I gotta grab my books,” she says in way of parting, flashing Billy a gentler smile as she adds, “Thanks again for the cookies.”

Trini is halfway down the hall when she becomes aware of the sound of footsteps trailing behind her, pausing to throw an inquisitive glance over her shoulder just as Kim catches up to her. She throws her defenses up on reflex alone, standing as tall as her five-feet-one-inch will allow, and regards the other girl with a cautious but curious stare.

“Did you need something?” she asks, tugging unconsciously on one of her backpack’s straps, just to have something to do with her hands.

Kim grins, a little shy as she says, “You said we have Bio together, right?”

“Chapter 5, all definitions and terms, plus review questions 1-12,” Trini replies automatically, “But you can find the answers to all the even numbered questions in the back of the book.”

The former cheerleader gapes. “I… I don’t even… I mean, I’m sorry. What now?”

“...the homework?” Trini supplies, brows furrowing as she shoots Kim a skeptical glare. “We still have like ten minutes left until the bell, so if you write fast, you can probably get it done in time.”

“I _know_ what the homework is,” Kim insists, her own face scrunching in a mixture of confusion and disbelief. “I finished it in class before we even let out.”

“Oh, okay?”

“Wait, is that seriously what you think I wanted?” she asks, head quirked in curiosity.

Trini offers a noncommittal shrug. “It’s the only reason anyone ever really talks to me, so… yeah, kinda?”

Kim thinks that’s probably one of the saddest things she’s ever heard, but Trini doesn’t look too put off by it, and it’s not really her place to comment. “Um, no…” she begins, somewhat anxiously, “Like I said, I already did the homework, but thanks for the thoughtful advice. I was actually thinking we could walk to class together since we both have it next.”

“I still have to go to my locker,” Trini answers, nodding her head towards the end of the hallway.

“Oh, that’s fine,” Kim assures, motioning for her to lead the way. “We still have plenty of time, and I’m not really in any rush. I just thought that, y’know, since we’re sort of stuck together in this whole Power Ranger business, it’d be nice to get to spend some time with one another outside of training.”

“Um… sure?” Trini murmurs, having neither positive nor negative thoughts on the suggestion. “If that’s what you want.”

“I mean, if _you_ don't want to, that's perfectly fine,” says Kim, following after Trini as she continues on with her original journey to her locker. “I know I sort of dragged you over that cliff the other day, but I'm not gonna drag you into this if it’s something that you don’t want to do.”

The shorter girl screeches to a halt at the statement, and Kim has to step around her in order to avoid collision. “No,” she huffs, shaking her head as she points an accusatory finger at the other Ranger. “You didn’t just _‘sort of’_ drag me off a cliff… that’s not something you just _‘sort of_ ’ do. You fully committed to that shit.”

Kim has enough decency to at least look ashamed. “I… take it you’re still mad about that?”

“You threw your arms around my neck, and then you threw us both off a two hundred foot precipice. What do _you_ think?” Trini shoots back, eyes narrowed sharply. Truthfully, she’d forgiven her almost as soon as they’d hit the water, the thrill alone enough to make up for the deceit. Regardless, Kim deserves to sweat for it just a little bit longer.

“Let me make it up to you then,” she pleads, hands clasped in the typical gesture for begging. “I’ll do anything!”

“Why does it even matter?” Trini retorts, walking just slightly ahead so that Kimberly has to rush and keep up.

“Because I want us to be friends, duh!” she answers, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and maybe to her it is. But Trini can’t comprehend it.

So she doesn’t reply.

She stops as she gets to her locker, pausing just long enough to dial in the combination, before wrenching it open with an ear shattering squeal (she should probably ask maintenance to fix that). Trini flashes Kim an apologetic look for the noise, busying herself with books and folders as she swaps material from her backpack. The other girl waits patiently, if not apprehensively with the way she shifts from foot to foot, not entirely certain where they stand with all this silence.

Hefting her bag over her shoulder, Trini jerks her head in the direction of their class, indicating that they should get walking. Kim follows, shoulders hunched under the heavy weight of unspoken words, feeling self conscious over Trini’s lack of response to her declaration of friendship. She’s just about given up on the endeavor when, just as they reach the classroom door, she holds her hand out in front of Kim, effectively stopping her from entering.

“Look,” she sighs, exhaling in what Kim thinks must be frustration, “We’re stuck with each other for the next two weeks, and probably longer than that if we survive. I’m not opposed to being _friendly_ with one another, but as a general policy, I don’t do friendship. I’m an Army brat. I don’t stick around long enough to make friends, and the ones I do make… well, they don’t tend to last when your dad gets stationed halfway across the country, let alone the other side of the world. So… yeah, if you wanna hang and talk, I’m cool with it. Just… don’t get your hopes up is all I’m saying.”

Trini fully expects Kim to retract her offer, to maybe mumble something about just seeing each other during training instead, but when she looks up - when she really looks up and _sees_ her - there’s a sadness in her eyes that she can’t quite explain.

“That sounds awfully lonely,” is all she murmurs, and Trini doesn’t bother to correct her.

Because yeah, even though she’ll never admit it out loud… it kinda _is_.

 

* * *

 

They're on day five out of eleven when Trini finds herself at the mall, bored and looking for something to do.

It's a Saturday, meaning half the team is in detention until twelve, and training isn't scheduled until later that afternoon. She has the day to herself, her parents taking her brothers to their soccer tournament two cities over, and she doesn't feel like spending her free time alone and at home. In a small town like Angel Grove, there aren’t many options for entertainment, and she half considers heading over to the mines to get some solo training in, but Zordon is sort of an enigmatic asshole, and Alpha-5 creeps her out.

So the mall it is.

Trini arrives sometime around ten, when the shops have been open just long enough for the employees to get into their usual swing, and the lunchtime patrons are yet to appear. There's a decent crowd, mostly consisting of young mothers pushing babies in strollers, and elderly making their rounds for exercise, but it's not overwhelming in the least bit; just the way she likes.

She’s not really in the mood to look at clothes, so she skips over the department stores and instead heads for the sporting goods. Trini makes a beeline for their scuba and outdoor gear, deciding it’s time she invest in a waterproof bag to take along for trips to the ship, having quickly grown tired of wet shirts and soggy shoes. She finds one large enough to hold a towel and several spare outfits, and she purchases that alongside a new water bottle, having to replace the one Kim had lost the first time they jumped the cliff.

The next hour and a half is spent traversing the rest of the mall, Trini pausing every now and then to check out a shop or one of the kiosks. She lingers in the bookstore a good forty-five minutes, browsing books and magazines, even reading up on a few new fighting techniques in those cheesy self-taught martial arts guides. By the time noon rolls around, her stomach is gnawing with hunger, and she takes the escalator up to the second floor food court to grab some lunch.

“Hi, welcome to Hot Dog on a Stick, what can I-... oh, shoot. Crazy Girl, hi…”

Trini nearly recoils in her own surprise, blinking through the haze of shock and confusion as Zack offers a timid grin, looking ridiculously out of place in his brightly striped uniform and hat. Her head swivels in either direction, as if checking to see whether or not she’s in the right place, but the man behind her clears his throat impatiently, so she spits out her order and pays.

Neither Ranger can seem to look at one another after that.

A short while later, he calls, “Order number five, two dogs and a lemonade!”

“Thanks,” Trini nods, shuffling forward to grab her tray.

“Ketchup and mustard on the side,” Zack replies, before turning back around to prepare the next meal.

She watches him for a moment, taking in his more reserved demeanor, a stark contrast to the boisterous confidence she’s grown so accustomed to. It doesn’t really surprise her that Zack has a job (plenty of teenagers work at the mall); it’s more or less the fact that someone with such a larger-than-life personality can settle for something so _mundane_ as Hot Dog on a Stick, and it just doesn’t fit the image of him that Trini has built up inside her head.

But then again, what does she know? She barely knows the guy outside of their newly appointed Ranger duties, and before that, he had just been some random kid hanging out on a train car. Taking her food, she finds an empty table and settles down to eat, nibbling at her corn dog as she flicks through the photos her mother sent of her brothers playing.

So preoccupied with her phone, Trini doesn’t even notice when a second tray slides onto the table a few minutes later, and a quiet voice asks, “Mind if I sit here?”

She’s just about to tell the guy to take a hike when the familiarity behind his tone hits her like a truck, and her eyes shoot up from her screen out of their own accord. Zack stands before her, shy and uncertain, looking every bit as small as she often feels. She doesn’t respond - at least, not verbally - instead waving at the chair beside him, as if to say, ‘it’s yours.’

“Thanks.”

A heavy silence falls upon the table, awkward but not entirely uncomfortable. Contrary to Trini’s initial belief, Zack doesn’t seem interested in conversation so much as he is her company, apparently content to eat his fries and sip his drink as she continues to flick through photos. He only looks up when she snorts at a picture of her youngest brother, Alex, face-planting into the grass, eyes shining with confusion and the barest hint of worry as she chokes around a mouthful of food.

“You okay?” he asks, hesitating briefly before reaching across the table and thumping her in the back.

“No, yeah… I’m good,” she coughs, chugging her lemonade before turning the phone around for him to see. “Just my little brother being a clumsy doofus.”

Zack inspects the photo, a gentle grin tugging at his lips as he replies, “Cute kid.”

Trini scoffs, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation as she sets her phone on the table. “You wouldn’t say that if you actually knew him,” she grunts. “You put him and my other brother together, and it’s a recipe for total disaster.”

“Noted,” he laughs, “Got any other siblings I should worry about?”

“Nah, just me and the Terrible Two,” she answers, shaking her head. “... you?”

Zack almost seems to deflate at the question, and Trini sincerely worries she's crossed some sort of invisible line, but then he lights up and replies, “Nope, just me and my mom.”

It's only six words, but he speaks with such fondness that Trini finds herself momentarily incapable of speech. Her own relationship with her mother is strained at best and non-existent at worst, so to hear someone mention their mother with such tender reverence is almost a foreign concept to the girl. A twinge of jealousy lances through her chest, striking her heart where it’s most vulnerable, but the feeling is short lived, and Trini can't find it within herself to begrudge him over something so trivial.

She doesn't say anything, only giving him an understanding nod and a tiny grin, but that's more than enough for him. They lapse into silence once more, light-hearted and easy - _comfortable, even_ \- and when Zack gets up to return to work, they don't need words to speak.

Later that day, the two pair up to spar, and it's the most exhilarating fight thus far. She and Zack seem to flow as one, trading blows in what feels more like a dance than battle. Everything about it feels right, feels _natural_ , and Trini doesn't have to think about moves or counter-moves, merely allowing her body to react.

There's a smile on her face the entire time.

It's only when Jason steps in and forces them to rest that Trini realizes how long they've fought, and just how tired she really is. The exhaustion hits her in waves, her legs like jelly, and she trips on her way to grab some water.

Zack is by her side in an instant, helping her stand with the same gentleness she had seen in him earlier that day. His eyes glint mischievously as he aids her to her feet, teasing softly, “So that's where your brother learnt it from.”

And Trini _should_ feel insulted, but she only laughs instead, a warmth in her chest that burns with something akin to affection.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Trini finds herself in the last place she’d ever expect (alien spaceships notwithstanding), in none other than Billy Cranston’s basement.

“Hand me the soldering iron?”

She hands him the device, careful not to allow their fingers to brush, and watches as he meticulously welds a cap over a copper pipe. Trini is ninety-nine-point-nine-nine percent sure they’re building a bomb, and she’s _one-hundred_ percent certain that this is both highly illegal and dangerous, but if she has a soft spot for anyone on this team, it’s without a doubt Billy.

“There, all done!” he exclaims, setting the tool aside as he admires his workmanship.

“It looks… good,” Trini concurs, though she’s still not entirely sure what she’s looking at.

“Yeah, this should definitely knock out a good chunk of hillside,” he grins, throwing out whatever little hope she’d held that this was nothing more than just a super fancy alarm clock.

She can practically _feel_ the color drain from her face, a cold shiver racing down her spine, but she does her best to tamper down the spike of anxiety by helping him clean up the mess. She gives the device a wide berth as she sweeps, keeping her eyes trained on it with a hawk like gaze, surreptitiously placing herself between it and Billy as he puts away his tools, seemingly - _and blissfully_ \- unaware of the potential danger.

Thankfully, they avoid getting blown up, and it’s with a tidal wave of relief that Trini allows herself to be led out of the dark and musty basement and into the light of the Cranston’s kitchen. They take turns washing up in the sink, scrubbing grease and dirt from beneath their fingertips, and she finds that she doesn't mind it when Billy accidentally flicks her with water.

“I’m sorry,” he says, wiping his hands dry. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“It's cool,” she assures, making sure to verbalize that she isn't upset. She's quickly learnt that sometimes smiling isn't enough for him to understand, so she adds, “It's just water.”

Billy nods gratefully, setting about as he gathers bowls and spoons, asking Trini if she can grab flour and sugar from the pantry. He lines up each ingredient in order of addition, and after triple checking that they have all the necessary items, they finally set about making the cookies he had originally invited her over to make. Of course, leave it to Billy Cranston to invite someone over to bake cookies, and somehow rope them into helping him build a homemade IED first, but Trini isn’t in any rush to get home, and she enjoys the calm presence he provides in her otherwise chaotic life.

“Wait, don’t add that yet,” she says, stopping him from pouring the bag of chocolate chips into the otherwise finished dough.

“But it’s the next step,” he insists, clearly confused. “It says it right there in the instructions.”

“I know,” Trini replies, gently taking the bag away and setting it off to the side. “But you said you only eat cookies with an even amount of chips, and if you just pour them into the bowl like that, you’ll have to count them out later. We can scoop the dough individually, and roll the chocolate into them before we set them on the baking tray. That way you can count them evenly now instead of picking through them later, and know that each cookie is okay to eat no matter which one you choose.”

Billy seems genuinely surprised she’d remember something like that about him, even more so that she’d be thoughtful enough to think ahead and figure out a way to make things easier on him. “Y-you don’t have to do that,” he says, staring at Trini with wide eyes and wonder. “That seems like a lot of extra work just for me…”

Encouragement isn’t exactly Trini’s forte, so she merely shrugs and says, “Too bad, I’m already doing it.” Dusting a generous amount of flour onto her hands, she spoons out a clump of dough roughly the size of a tablespoon and sets Billy to counting chocolate and separating them into piles of ten. Incorporating the chocolate chips into the dough, she works it into a ball before plopping it onto the tray and moving onto the next one.

They work silently and in tandem, like two cogs in a well oiled machine. It’s only when they’re on their second batch that Trini realizes Billy is humming softly beneath his breath, and it takes a moment for her to catch on to what it is. “Is that Achy Breaky Heart?” she asks, handing off another tray of dough.

Billy freezes beneath the curious stare, cheeks darkening with what must be embarrassment. He doesn’t normally hum unless he’s fully relaxed, but working with Trini - both in the basement, and here now in the kitchen - came with such a natural ease, he must have started singing without notice.

“Uhm… sorry,” he apologizes, offering a sheepish grin. “Sometimes I just start doing it. I can stop.”

“No, it's fine,” she promises, but he seems reluctant and self conscious now that he's been called out, and Trini’s stomach churns with guilt for making him feel uncomfortable. Deciding she has nothing to lose (except maybe her pride), she licks her lips in preparation and awkwardly croons lyrics to the chorus.

“But don't tell my heart,” she begins, flashing him a grin that was half-cringe, “My achy breaky heart, I just don't think he'd understand…”

Billy blinks at her, failing to catch on.

Exhaling in a groan, Trini motions for him to join along, singing a little more loudly despite her reluctance. “... and if you tell my heart, my achy breaky heart, he might just blow up and kill this man…”

She thinks he’s finally starting to get it, bobbing his head a little in time to the song, and Trini figures she may as well commit. Holding the wooden spoon to her lips as a pseudo microphone, she places one hand on her hip and does her worst imitation of a line dancer, belting out the lyrics as she two-steps in place.

“So don't tell my heart! My achy breaky heart! I just don't think he’d understand!”

Billy finally chimes in, “And if you tell my heart! My achy breaky heart! He might just blow up and kill this man!”

Trini can feel laughter bubbling up her throat, and she hands the spoon off to him, letting him take the solo as they dance around one another. The kitchen is small and cramped, and Trini bumps her hip into the counter one too many times to count, but it's the most free she's felt in a long time.

They end up burning the cookies, but Billy’s smile is infectious and sincere, and it's sweeter than any treat Trini could ever hope to make.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this isn't exactly the update I wanted to give you guys. This is in fact a segment of a larger chapter I've been working on, but I have the tendency to obsess over certain details and for some god awful reason, I keep coming back to this scene and tweaking it. I've written and rewritten it so many times, it's actually hindering my ability to continue with the rest of the story, so I'm just going to throw it out there and before my brain can overthink this. No take backs!

“You know,” Zack notes, mumbling around a mouthful of cookie, “if this whole Power Ranger business doesn’t work out, you two could totally start a bakery.”

“First of all,” Trini scowls, flicking the crumbled remains of her own cookie at his unsuspecting face, “don’t talk with your mouth full. That’s disgusting. And second of all, they’re just cookies. Anyone with an oven and the right ingredients can make them themselves.”

“Yeah, but you hit like the sweet spot with these,” he insists, plucking another from the small tin she’d brought along. “They’re just thin enough that the outside is crisp, but the center is still soft and chewy when you reach it. It’s like perfection in every bite.”

“It’s basic chemistry, really,” Billy inserts, gravel crunching beneath his shoes as he joins the other two Rangers. He hands Trini the detonator to the explosive they’d built earlier that day, and she takes it cautiously, keeping her fingers well away from the trigger. Zack brushes off his hand and helps pull the other boy up onto the abandoned train car, mindful to hold on just long enough to help him over the edge of the roof, and then releasing him as soon as he knows he’s good.

“Yeah, Zack,” she taunts, though her tone is anything but derogatory. “It’s basic chemistry. Maybe you would _know_ that if you showed up to school every now and then.”

“Man,” he tuts, clicking his tongue good-naturedly. “Ain't nobody got time for that!”

Trini’s eyes roll in faux frustration, shaking her head a little to suppress the smirk desperately attempting to make its way onto her lips. Shoving one last cookie into her mouth, she smacks Zack’s wandering hand away, growling out a, “Save some for my brothers!” before tucking the tin safely back into her bag. He laughs and holds his arms up in surrender, the two locked in a heated staring match - her watchful, and him playful -  before she sighs in resignation and flops backwards down onto the roof of the car.

She breaks off the uneaten half of the cookie still in her mouth and wordlessly hands it to Zack as he follows suit. Their heads press together side by side, neither speaking as they munch on their treats, merely staring upwards into the night sky as Billy tinkers with his remote. It's quiet and easy, and the silence between them speaks more than words ever will. A part of Trini is surprised at how effortless it is to be in their presence, but another part of her - the one she so hopelessly tries to hide - is drawn inexplicably to the two, as if something deep inside her recognizes a piece of itself buried within them.

Billy is innocent and earnest, honest to a fault, his company like a soothing balm for her wearied soul. He talks, she listens, and something about that combination just works. Zack is his complete opposite, brash and outspoken, cocky to the point of arrogance, but Trini knows a mask when she sees one, and behind all his bravado lay a gentle heart. Neither of them seem to hold any expectations of her, and ultimately, that's why Trini thinks they click; because they sought her out, asked only for her companionship, and gave permission for her to simply co-exist in whatever way was most comfortable to her.

It’s… _nice_ , and while Trini wouldn’t go so far as to call them friends, she’s _acclimated_ to their presence, and is as comfortable as one can be with two boys she only (officially) met a few short days ago.

A complacent sigh eases its way past thin lips, hazel eyes fluttering shut as she allows herself to relax, easing into the moment. It’s a much needed respite after all that’s happened, and though Trini doesn’t think she’ll ever shake off the feeling that she’s hurtling towards something she can never quite define, it’s a welcome relief to finally be able to just breathe and let it all sink in. The other two must feel something similar, because Zack exhales slowly, as if blowing out the tension in his body, and Billy ceases his fiddling.

There's a stillness in the air between them, and for a long time, none of them speak or move. They merely sit, finding peace in the quiet, safe in boundaries that overlap but do not over step. Trini feels the beginning of a smile, hesitant at first, as though her face is only testing it out, but then Billy scoots himself across the roof to lay down on her other side, and it falls into place like it was always meant to be there.

She's rarely the instigator of physical contact, but she reaches out anyway, tapping a single digit atop his hand in way of 'hello’. Billy taps back, prodding his pointer finger gently against her thigh, eliciting a soft laugh that's half snort.

“Hey, you two aren't getting handsy over there, are you?” Zack teases, craning his neck to see what they're doing.

“No, but if we were, you would have totally ruined the moment,” Trini shoots back, earning a look of mock hurt from the boy.

“You wound me, Crazy Girl!” he replies, holding a hand to his chest, stemming the flow to a non-existent injury. “And here I thought we were like the three amigos… the three ami- _bros_! You telling me I've been third wheeling this whole time?”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” she says, not apologetic in the least bit, “I should have told you sooner that you were interrupting our very _romantic_ date of blowing up mountains.”

Zack cackles at the thought, sitting up as he swipes the remote from where it rests, carefully but curiously inspecting the various wires and buttons. “Speaking of blowing things up, we gonna test this baby out or what?”

There’s a gentle pat against her shoulder, and Trini turns to give Billy her full attention as he sheepishly asks, “This isn’t really a date, is it?”

Trini grins and shakes her head, patiently explaining,  “No, Billy. Zack and I were only joking.”

“Oh, phew! Okay, good!” She can’t help but chuckle at the genuine relief that washes across his features, though it quickly dissolves into pure panic as he continues, “Uh… uh, what I mean to say is that… I find you very attractive, and I think you’re a really good person, but I don’t see you in that kind of way. In the dating way. O-or, I mean, I can see _you_ dating, because I’m sure you’re a very dateable person, but-”

“Billy,” she cuts in, laughter echoing in her throat, “it’s cool. I like you too, but I don’t want to date you either.”

“What about me?” Zack chimes in, flashing her a roguish smirk.

“What _about_ you?” Trini counters, scoffing at his blatant attempt at flirting. She's quickly learnt that he doesn't actually mean anything by it, that it's just the way Zack _is_ , but that doesn't mean she’ll let him get away with every little remark. Regardless, she doesn't intend to come off so derisive, but he shrugs it off like he seems to do with everything else, and they're right back to casual banter and easy camaraderie like nothing at all.

“So, we finally gonna blow this thing, or are we just gonna sit here all night?” he asks again, returning their attention to the controller in his hand.

“Oh, yes! Here, let me show you,” Billy replies, eagerly reaching across Trini to help Zack with the remote. “They’ve already stripped this portion of the mine of all its gold, but there’s still plenty to be found in terms of fossils and artifacts. I’ve found arrowheads and whale bones - all sorts of cool things, really!

“Now, if I read this map correctly, and I almost always do, there should be a few undetonated explosives leftover from their time here that never went off. If I placed my charges right, we should be able to set them off and bring that portion of hillside down.”

As the designated ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ of the group, Trini _really_ wishes Jason and Kim were there to tell them how bad of an idea this is, but being on a tighter leash due to their mishaps at school, they’d left immediately after training that evening, and no one is left to stop the three from making what is decidedly a very _stupid_ decision. Billy is oblivious to the danger, Zack doesn’t care, and Trini… well, she wants to see it go _boom!_ just as badly as they do…

“This might get loud,” Billy warns, thumb hovering over the detonator.

Trini may be the youngest of the Power Rangers by far (she wonders if they even _realize_ she’s actually a junior, _and_ that she skipped a grade), but she’s a big sister at heart, and there’s a stirring of sibling protectiveness whenever she so much as _looks_ at Billy Cranston. Motioning for him to wait, she digs into her bag and unearths a set of noise cancelling headphones, gently wedging them over his ears before giving him the go ahead.

“WHAT ABOUT YOU TWO?” he shouts, unable to hear - let alone control - his own voice over the headphones.

She and Zack trade glances, and even in the poor light, she can see that he shares the same sentiment towards their Blue Ranger. In an increasingly common occurrence, they talk without actually speaking, and Zack sidles up behind her as he places his hands over her ears. Trini returns the favor, reaching up and securing her own hands over his ears as he rests his chin atop her head, the two nodding as one to indicate that they’re both set.

“WHY DON’T YOU JUST COVER YOUR OWN-” Billy begins, mildly perplexed, before shaking his head and waving them off. “NEVER MIND, IT’S COOL. YOU DO YOU. I’M GONNA BLOW UP THE MOUNTAIN NOW.”

She decides it is _infinitely_ more satisfying to watch Billy Cranston blow up a mountainside when she’s not on the receiving end of its subsequent avalanche, eyes round with awe as a series of smaller explosions crackle in quick succession. A secondary explosion soon follows, deafening and powerful as it rips through layers of earth, sending debris flying through the air. The two boys holler and whoop with exaltation, but whatever excitement Trini may have felt is swiftly and mercilessly replaced by a sinking pit of despair, her gaze zeroing in on the boulder-sized projectile careening haphazardly towards them.

She has just enough time to kick Zack backwards off the train car and - with just a fraction more care - shove Billy over the side, that familiar surge of protectiveness crashing through every inch of her small frame. With no room left to dodge, Trini braces for impact, and - in what she will later recall as a spectacularly _epic_ display of both teenage stupidity and reckless abandon - throws her fist out to meet it head on.

It shatters on impact, her fist plowing into it with such force, it all but crumbles to dust. She's doused in a heavy shower of rubble, a cloud of debris blanketing her from view, and Trini stares with no small amount of trepidation at the now mangled mess of her hand. The skin is cracked and split open to the bone, the sharp ridge of a knuckle standing bright and white in stark contrast to the crimson stained flesh surrounding it. She doesn't even notice the plated gauntlet adorning her wrist, paying it no heed as it recedes into her skin, focused entirely on the way every nerve in her body sings with agony.

“Holy shit,” Zack breathes, his head popping into view as he struggles to climb back up. “What just happened?”

Trini doesn’t respond, staggering with shock as she trips over her feet and stumbles off the edge, the Black Ranger diving to catch her just before she can hit the ground. Billy comes running around the side of the car just as Zack helps her stand, a steadying hand on her elbow that tightens immediately as the other boy nearly bowls them over in his haste.

His face turns ashen at the state of her appearance, a weak, “Trini, t-that’s a lot of blood…” stuttering from his now pale lips.

It's with this wavering statement that Zack finally takes into account the way she stands, hand pressed guardedly to her chest, caked with a river of still flowing blood. Trini isn't entirely sure who starts screaming first, but a general panic seems to take over the group, and the next thing she knows, it's almost a competition amongst the three to see who can scream the loudest. She's screaming at _Zack_ ; Zack is screaming at _her_ ; Billy _was_ screaming at the gnarled fist she calls her hand, but now he's passed out on the floor, and sirens are blaring, and…

It's just a _whole lot_ of screaming.

“What the fuck? What the fuck?” he cries, voice pitchy, eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets as he points to the injury - as if she isn't somehow gut wrenchingly aware of the gaping wound herself. “Your hand!”

“No _shit_ , Captain Obvious,” she grits through clenched teeth, snapping out of her panic-stricken daze as the sound of an alarm finally registers in her ears, not unlike the one they'd heard the night they found their coins. “Crap, I thought Billy said they were finished with operations on this side of the quarry! We need to get out of here!”

“But… but you're _bleeding_ ,” Zack squeaks, equal parts horrified and nauseated by the sight.

“I am very much aware of that fact, thank you,” she snaps, scrambling for her backpack. “Now pick him up and let’s get out of here!” Zack looks seconds away from joining Billy in the dirt, and Trini is _not_ about the haul both their asses to safety with only one good arm. Her palm cracks across his cheek in a jarring slap, breaking him out of his semi-trance state, and it’s just enough of a wake up call to spur him into action.

“Come on, big guy,” he grunts, tossing Billy’s still unconscious form over his shoulder and motioning for Trini to follow. “We can head to my place for now. I live just on the other side of the mountain.”

“I don’t care where we go,” she replies, clutching her hand as she trails his lead, “We just have to _go_ , and we have to go _now_!”

The two hightail it out of the quarry, dodging patrol cars and spotlights as they evade security, enhancing their getaway with a modicum of Ranger speed ( _“I won’t tell if you won’t tell,” Zack grins_ ). It doesn’t take long for them to reach the mobile park that Zack affectionately calls his home, and by the time she crashes onto his couch beside a still comatose Billy, the earlier adrenaline has all but faded from her being.

“Take these,” he says, holding out a glass of water and nudging a couple of ibuprofen into her now trembling hand. Trini pops them into her mouth, humming gratefully as he helps steady the cup, preventing her from sloshing water as she chugs it down. “Easy, Crazy Girl. I’m gonna grab some supplies so we can take care of that hand of yours.”

He disappears into another room, and she can hear the sound of him rummaging through cabinets as she looks about the trailer, desperately attempting to distract her mind from the pain of her body. Quaint isn’t a word she often uses in her everyday vocabulary (if you ask her, it’s just a fancy way of saying ‘tiny’), but she thinks the term fits the Taylor family’s abode, appearing lived in but looked after with its mismatched furniture and worn linoleum floors. It’s what Trini thinks a home _should_ look like, so different to the way her mother keeps their own house like a catalogue, constantly changing pillows and curtains to match the seasons.

The only thing out of place is the alarming amount of pill bottles, counters and shelves lined with orange tubes of medication, but Trini isn’t given much time to contemplate their existence before Zack makes his return. His arms are laden with supplies, burdened by rolls of gauze and a bottle of rubbing alcohol, balancing what looks suspiciously like a sewing kit between his chin and shoulder.

“Kitchen,” is all he says, and Trini gets up to follow him, careful not to bleed on the floors as she staggers into the small galley. Setting everything onto the counter, he guides her towards the sink, rolling up the sleeve of her jacket before running her hand beneath a steady stream of warm water.

She hisses at the contact, eyes narrowing with pain as he diligently cleans the wound, gently working a soapy cloth against the raw flesh until all the excess blood is washed away. Shutting off the tap, Zack flashes her an apologetic grin as he twists open the bottle of alcohol, sympathy swirling in his eyes as he pours it over her hand. Every curse word known to man - and a few she makes up on the spot - come spilling past her lips in a torrent of expletives, rushing from her lungs in an endless flow.

It’s a necessary evil, but _fuck_ does it burn…

“Sorry,” he murmurs, offering an encouraging smile as he tops it off and pries open the sewing kit, selecting the smallest needle he can find. “Fair warning, this’ll probably hurt just as much…”

“Probably not the best time to ask this, but…  y-you _do_ know what you’re doing, right?” she asks, eying him warily as he heats the needle over the stove.

“Nope,” he grins, blunt and soul crushingly honest, “But Google is a great place to learn.”

“...”

Zack tosses her a wink for good measure, and Trini wishes she had just let the boulder hit him instead.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait! As usual, life has been busy and hectic, and whatever free time I get ends up being spent asleep... anyway, this one is focused more on Kimberly & Jason, since I want to keep things relatively balanced in terms of "screen time" for the different rangers. Probably gonna be mostly (platonic) Trimberly next chapter, and then I probably have another Jason scene, a big Zack/Trini moment, and then we hit the infamous day of the docks... (oh no!!)
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“Did you know that there are three million species of animals and insects living in the tropical rain forests?”

Trini blinks owlishly, dragged up from the mind-numbing depths of a mid-studying haze, glancing up from her textbook to give Billy her undivided attention. It’s no big secret that the boy is a genius, and that he’s a fount of information and random facts, imparting these tidbits of knowledge to whoever will listen whenever it becomes too much for him to contain. Most people find it annoying; Trini thinks it’s endearing.

“I wasn’t aware,” she answers, indulging the habit. “I mean, I know that are a lot of different species, but three million just seems… excessive.”

“Maybe so,” he nods, thoughtfully, “but each species plays a vital role in the ecosystem, no matter how insignificant they may seem. I find red fire ants particularly fascinating.”

“Fire ants?” Trini repeats, a single brow lifted in curious skepticism.

Billy grins, bobbing his head eagerly as he delves into the topic, “They live underground, under constant threat of obliteration from flash floods. Nature doesn’t really care. It can rain annually anywhere from eighty inches all the way up to four hundred, and if you want to survive, you have to prove that you deserve to. But survival of the fittest doesn’t necessarily mean the strongest individual.

“Alone, a single ant will sink. So when the rain comes, and the water rises, they latch onto one another in order to create a living raft. They’ll cling to one another, holding tight, for as long as necessary to stay afloat - even up to months at a time!”

“Sounds… intense?” she supplies, wanting to respond but not entirely sure _how_ to. It’s interesting to say the least, but she doesn’t find it quite as captivating as her current study buddy.

Trini’s lack of conviction does nothing to dissuade his own enthusiasm, and he seems pleased that she’s simply _listening_ to him instead of tuning him out as most people do. “It is,” he continues, tapping his finger atop the desk to expel some of that anxious energy, “And it really makes you think, doesn’t it? I mean, how does a species even figure something like that out? Was it instinct? Did they learn through trial and error? Or maybe, one day, one ant was being swept away, and it merely reached out to another in some last ditch effort to stay alive, and together they found that they could float?”

Trini pauses, head tilted in contemplation; now _that_ \- as reluctant as she is to admit - was a bit more thought provoking. But she’s given little time to consider the notion, her left hand shooting out of its own accord, catching a wayward book inches from landing onto their table. She and Billy share twin masks of confusion, the Blue Ranger twisting in his seat as she inspects the paperback projectile, wondering to herself when _Encylopedia Britannica Vol. 5_ became sentient enough to spontaneously learn to fly.

“Uh, Trini… I think Kimberly is trying to get your attention?”

She glances up, tearing her eyes away from the text as Billy nods his head to the adjacent bookshelf, where a sheepish Kim is waving her over. Trini stares impassively, eyebrow raised in question as the older girl silently implores her to approach, casting nervous looks at the librarian’s desk. Though in separate grades, Trini had found that she and Billy share the same study period, but as far as she’s aware, Kim isn’t even supposed to be on this side of the school.

“Maybe you should see what she wants?” he suggests, attempting to be helpful.

“In a minute,” Trini murmurs, continuing to stare down the increasingly exasperated Senior. Eventually, curiosity wins out and Trini relents, if only for fear that Kimberly would throw _Vol. 6_ next. “I think you dropped this,” she says in way of greeting, handing the book back.

“Yeah, my bad,” Kim breathes, awkward but not apologetic. “What happened to your hand?” she asks, without so much as skipping a beat.

“Thought I’d try a new look,” she answers, shrugging casually. “I call it The Mummy.”

“Ha-ha, very funny,” Kim laughs, feigning amusement. “Seriously, what the _hell_ happened? That didn’t happen during training, did it? Were you fighting with an injury the whole time? I know we all get our fair share of bumps and bruises, but why didn’t you tell us that you’d gotten hurt?”

If there's one way to get Trini to completely shut down, it's to spring her with an impromptu game of twenty questions. It's a defense mechanism brought on by years of emotional manipulation and verbal abuse, and though she doesn't expect Kimberly to know or understand this (because how could she _possibly_ know when she didn't even know her _name_ until a few days ago), her initial reaction is still the same. The change comes almost immediately, lips pulling into a hard, thin line as she straightens up, jaw tense and eyes like flint.

“I’m fine,” is all she says, because at times like these, they’re often the only words she knows how to speak.

Kim senses the shift in Trini almost instantly, reading her defensive stance like an open book, and takes a step back to give her space. In her concern and quest for answers, she’d forgotten that the other girl doesn’t like it when others come on too strongly, barreling her way into the conversation like the bullheaded idiot she is.

“I’m sorry,” she begins, tentatively this time. “I didn’t mean ambush you like that. I just… I saw you out in the hall earlier, but I didn’t really get a chance to talk to you before the bell rang. I wanted to make sure you were okay, so I told Mr. Williams I was having cramps and snuck over. I mean, I know you can take care of yourself, but Zordon has been pushing us all really hard… Jason too, and I know you don’t really like to speak up, but like… if you’re being pushed to the point of significant injury… and like, I get it, you've got this silent badass thing going on - which, y’know, it's kinda hot, and all the more power to you - but that looks _bad_ , and-”

Trini goes from angry, to annoyed, to confused, to mildly amused all in the span of a few seconds, features cycling through each emotion as Kimberly rambles on. Eventually, she settles on something neutral, still guarded but not entirely closed off, waiting for the short haired girl to figure out what it is that she's actually trying to say.

Kim’s verbal meandering slowly teeters off, stuttering to a halt as she gradually loses steam. (And then she starts right back up again.)

“Sorry,” she says, looking bashful as she clears her throat, busying herself by returning the encyclopedia to its rightful place. “I tend to word vomit when I get nervous - not that you make me nervous! Or, well, to be honest, you kind of _do_ , but not in the bad way! It's just that you're so _cool_ … not in the hipster, wanna-be cool way, but in the 'take no shit, give no shit’ kind of way, and I just really, really want you to _like_ me, and-”

Trini decides she's heard enough, taking pity on the Pink Ranger before she can lose herself to yet another long-winded speech. “Do you want to start over?” she asks, interrupting Kim, who looks like she's seconds away from talking herself into a coma.

“Oh god, yes please,” she groans, breathless and relieved. She takes a moment to collect herself, inhaling through her nose before exhaling in a huff, shaking out her shoulders like she's amping herself up. “Okay,” she sighs, offering a timid grin as she breathes out a simple, “Hey…”

“Hi,” Trini offers, conversationally.

Kim chuckles and ruffles her hair anxiously, careful with her words the second time around, “So, um… I saw you earlier in the hallway, and I noticed the bandages around your hand. I just wanted to ask if you were okay.”

“I'm good, thank you for asking,” Trini answers politely, subduing the smirk fighting to make its way onto her lips as Kimberly shoots her a pleading stare. She merely blinks back, matching her imploring gaze with a look of cool apathy, finding great personal pleasure in the way it makes her squirm. It’s not often that she feels powerful, and Trini secretly delights at the apparent weight her opinion of the other girl holds.

(And it’s not that she doesn’t like Kimberly. She’s… _nice_ \- in the ‘I can’t leave things well enough alone’ sort of way - and though she’s heard a thing or two about her that Trini doesn’t particularly like [through the grapevine that is the girls’ locker room], she’s not here to judge anyone based on past merit. She’s honest enough with herself to know that she _might_ hold a slight bias against her for being an ex-cheerleader, but she’d been truthful that first day when she told Kim that she wasn’t opposed to being friendly.

Whether they like it not, they’re stuck with one another for the foreseeable future, and Trini may as well let herself have some fun with it.)

Kim looks like she wants to press for more, mouth opening and closing soundlessly as she performs an impromptu impersonation of a fish out of water. Trini continues to stare, stoic and unconcerned, but the urge to smirk is ultimately too much to handle, a curl of her lips slipping through the cracks of her facade. Kimberly catches on instantly, letting out an indignant huff as she shakes out her frustrations, turning to murmur over her shoulder what sounds suspiciously a lot like, “ _you lil shit!_ ”

Trini loses it at that, snorting with amusement behind a poorly hidden cough as Kim looks on in annoyance.

“I’m not trying to push you, but be real with me for like a half a second,” she sighs, hands on her hips in what Trini has come to associate with as the battle stance of exasperated women (aka her _mom_ ). “Are you being pushed too hard at training? Because I can talk to Jason. And it’s not just you… he’s taken this whole ‘red leader’ thing a little too personally, and I think we could _all_ benefit from him toning it down a notch.”

The Yellow Ranger shrugs. “Sure, if you want to, and if you really think it’s necessary, talk to Jason. But I didn’t get this from training, sooo…”

“You… didn’t?”

She shakes her head. “Nope.”

“Then… then where _did_ you get it?” Kim asks, dubiously.

Trini grins fondly, “I punched a flying rock.”

“You _punched_ a flying-”

“But only because Billy blew up the mountain,” she adds in afterthought, as though that’s somehow enough to explain everything.

Kim chokes. “Billy blew up a mountain… _again!?_ ”

At the mention of his name, Billy’s head pops up from the book he’d been reading, glancing over from his place at the table. He beams happily and sends the two girls an excited wave, one which Trini gladly returns.

“Yeah, I helped him build the explosive before training,” she says, as casually as she would the weather. “We made cookies too, though you're gonna have to wait until lunch if you want some.”

“What? No, I-I don't care about the cookies-”

“You sure? They're really good.”

“-I can't believe you and Billy blew up another mountain! Didn't you learn _anything_ from the first time?”

“Yeah, if you find five shiny alien rocks, _leave them alone_ ,” Trini retorts, arms crossed. “And hey, just for the record, _Zack_ was there too.”

Kim openly gapes, shaking her head as she stares at the other girl with eyes as round as saucers. “If Zack being there was supposed to somehow make me feel better, it didn’t.”

“Oh, it wasn’t,” Trini deadpans, “but if I’m going down for this, I’m taking that fool with me.”

Kimberly gawks at the audacity of her fellow Ranger, wondering - not for the first time - what was wrong with her. “What… but… I… you-!?” she splutters, before going oddly quiet.

Trini isn’t a trained medical professional, but she imagines this is what someone having an aneurysm would look like, Kim’s face wiped of all emotion as she stares unseeing into the distance, a worrying pulse to the enlarged vein of her neck. It's… _concerning_ to say the least, and she brings her hand up to her face, fingers snapping in an effort to break her of the spell.

It takes a few tries, but Kim eventually returns from the void she'd been lost to, taking Trini’s hand as she speaks only four words, “Idiots, _all_ of you!”

Trini baulks, tugging her hand free as she glowers at the older girl. “Okay, first of all, _rude_ ,” she defends, arms crossed once more. “Second of all, don't lump Billy in with the rest of us. He can blow up _Mount Rushmore_ for all I care, and you _still_ can't accuse him of being anything other than pure and good.”

“Lastly,” she finishes, glare softening until it's nothing more than a slight narrowing of her eyes, taking on a resigned, if not humored glint, “I may be an idiot, but I am nowhere _near_ the level of idiot that Zack is. Like, if all the village idiots in the world came together and formed a village of idiots, he would _still be_ the village idiot.

“So yeah, okay. Still idiots, but like…” she holds both hands at separate heights, one higher than the other, “different levels.”

“My bad?” Kimberly replies, more of a question than a statement. She’s not entirely certain how to respond, let alone how to handle this version of Trini, snarky and somewhat playful, as opposed to the brooding, standoffish girl she’d been the first few times they’d met. She thinks she likes it, thinks she wouldn’t mind seeing more of it, but she’s having trouble finding her footing, unmoored and uncertain by her mere presence alone.

Trini, on her part, can’t understand why she just doesn’t stop talking. This is by far the longest conversation they’ve had to date, and though messing with Kim is enjoyable, she finds the actual act of conversation moreso. Which _shouldn’t_ make sense. Because unlike with Billy and Zack, there’s no natural connection or silent understanding between them, no moments of easy calm or the simple acceptance of things as they are.

Kim seems to challenge her without outright defying her, nudging but not pushing for her to see past her preconceived notions of the way things work, chasing after her when others would simply choose to walk away. It’s a baffling experience, one that Trini is still reluctant to partake in, but as she takes in Kimberly’s features - honest, and open, and just a tad bold - she thinks that maybe it wouldn’t hurt too much to try.

“Sooo… I haven’t cleaned my hand or replaced the bandages since last night,” she says, switching topics, “I have some extra supplies in my bag. I was going to wait until break time, but since you’re here, do you think maybe you could…” She trails off, too proud to directly ask for assistance, but this is probably the closest she’s ever gotten to asking for help, extending the metaphorical olive branch in hopes that Kim will catch on.

Fortunately, she seems to understand what it is that Trini is asking for, a smile breaking out across her lips at the abrupt change of tone in the younger girl. “Yeah! Yeah, of course!” she agrees, nodding her head towards the single-use bathroom in the back corner of the library. “Grab your things. I’ll meet you there.”

Trini watches her leave, eyes trailing her retreating figure until she disappears into the next row of bookshelves. When she knows she’s gone, she turns back towards the table and carefully digs out the small first aid kit Zack had lent her, double checking to make sure she has enough gauze and cleaning swabs to take care of her hand.

“Be right back,” she says, notifying Billy, who’s once again engrossed in his book.

He glances up in acknowledgment, head tilting curiously as he notices the medical supplies. “Didn’t you say you changed those before school this morning?”

Trini smiles, soft and affectionate with him as she’s quickly become, offering a noncommittal shrug as she simply replies, “Yeah.”

And it’s funny, but as Trini dodges into the bathroom after Kim, all she can seem to think about are fire ants, about what it must have taken for that first ant to realize it wasn’t strong enough to make it on its own. She’s not sinking, and she’s taught herself how to swim alone, but maybe there’s still something to be learnt from it.

“Ready?” asks Kim, as Trini hops up onto the counter.

“Mhmm, I’m good,” she murmurs, wriggling her fingers in invitation, “But also, um… before I forget… thanks… for helping me.”

Kimberly nods, lips twitching into a warm grin as she takes Trini’s injured hand, gently - almost tenderly - unraveling the heavy layer of gauze.

“Thanks for letting me,” she hums, and there's something in the way she says it that makes Trini think that maybe that first ant wasn’t the only one in need of reaching out.

 

* * *

 

She sees him long before he sees her, eyes instantly drawn to his figure half-hidden in the shadow of the tunnel leading up to the bleachers. Even from a distance, Trini can sense his melancholy, taking in the way he leans against the concrete wall, shoulders hunched like he’s trying to remain invisible. His gaze is hard and full of regret, sights set directly on the football field below, where the team he once led practices for their upcoming game against Reefside.

Trini knows she can walk away and no one would hold it against her - not _really_. Out of the four, Jason is the Ranger she’s spent the least amount of time with outside of training, and to be honest, even when they’re all together, the awkwardness between the two is practically palpable. They're such different people, born and raised in very opposing environments, but unlike with her and Kim, neither she nor Jason seem to know how to bridge the gap that separates them. Instead, they merely skirt around one another, respectful of boundaries and speaking only when necessary, too apprehensive to try and navigate the waters of uncertainty.

But Trini also knows that, as absurd as it may seem, something led her there - something indefinable, and too powerful to be denied. It had started as tingling at the base of her skull, buzzing incessantly in the far reaches of her mind, growing stronger and stronger until it became like a magnet, drawing her towards the school stadium despite needing to head in the opposite direction. She lets her feet guide her, following the pull until her sneakers hit grass, coming to a halt on the side of the field reserved for visiting teams.

Trini tries not to think about it, but she finds it just a little ironic that Jason stands at home - literally and figuratively - roots firmly entrenched in Angel Grove, still very much a prominent member of the community despite his fall from grace. She, on the other hand, is the perpetual visitor no matter where she goes, in a constant state of motion that leaves little time to understand what having a home even means.

It’s just another thing they’ll never have in common, she thinks, a little envious and a lot bittersweet.

Regardless of her personal thoughts and feelings, Jason is visibly upset, and Trini isn’t so heartless as to let that go unchecked. They’re far from friends, and they’re barely teammates as is, but she knows that she at least has to _try_ , though what ‘trying’ entails is still yet to be decided. Comforting anyone that isn’t one of her brothers - and maybe Billy now too - is a skillset she’s yet to master, essentially a novice at anything related to emotional support and human connection.

Anxiously, she shuffles her feet, scuffing her sneakers against the grass as she looks around, searching for some semblance of an idea. It comes to her like divine inspiration, eyes landing on a rack of footballs left out near the goal post, mostly unattended as the team runs drills on the other end of the field. Without looking too obvious, Trini walks towards them and snatches one from the pile, acting as casual as one can when stealing from the football team.

Jason remains oblivious to her presence as she sneaks around to the back end of the tunnel, coming up from behind as his attention lingers on the players below. She gives him two seconds of warning, calling out, “heads up, Red!” before hurling the ball at him in her best imitation of Peyton Manning. Her aim could use a little work, but he catches it all the same, turning on a dime as he instinctively reaches out for the oval shaped ball.

He seems startled, frozen for a moment as his mind catches up with the rest of his body, fingers sinking into the familiar worn leather as he stares down at it with confusion. Trini clears her throat and he glances up, finally noticing her at the other end of the tunnel. His brows shoot up in a silent question, blue eyes wide with befuddlement as she motions for him to pass it back. It takes a couple of tries for him to finally catch on, but he eventually realizes what it is that she wants, and with an ease born from both natural talent and countless years of practice, he throws it back in a flawless spiral.

It lands perfectly between Trini’s two hands, earning him a “nice one!” that brings the tentative beginnings of a smile to his lips. For a time, they don’t speak, content to toss the ball back and forth until the awkward tension between them withers and dies, giving way to a silent camaraderie that could almost be mistaken for companionship. Jason’s face brightens considerably the longer they play, lips gradually parting in a blinding smile that could rival any friday night lights, his entire demeanor appearing to relax and open up as he loses himself to the familiarity of the game.

And while Trini may never consider american football _real_ fútbol (because let’s be _honest_ \- kickoffs, field goals, and extra points does _not ‘_ foot’ball make), she’s surprised at the genuine enjoyment she takes from the simple passing of a ball. She finds something oddly soothing about the rhythmic - if not highly repetitive - motion of throwing and catching, something about the monotony of it that, for even just a moment, gives her some meager semblance of control in a life that’s never really felt like her own.

She falls into the moment with the same reluctance she did that first day at the cliffs, but without Kimberly to pull her over, it's up to her to make the leap. She does so apprehensively, standing anxious and unsure, staring over the edge with no clue as to what she’ll find once she hits bottom. But she sees the look on Jason’s face, thinks about how this is the probably the most carefree she's seen him in recent times, and decides that - for now - nothing else really matters.

They're just two kids passing a ball. And maybe they don't know yet how to talk, maybe they’ll never find the right words to say, but actions always speak louder, and they may as well be shouting from rooftops.

Later, when they're sitting on the bleachers, arguing over the semantics of fútbol versus football (because love of sport is the one thing they've finally found in common), Trini will look at Jason and feel like she's seeing him for the very first time. Sweat dampens his brow, hair clinging to his head like a wet mop in the daytime heat, features softened in the dwindling light of early afternoon; he looks more boy than man, and she's struck by the sudden realization of just how _young_ he truly is.

She'd seen the article in the paper, had read about Angel Grove’s up-and-coming football star, watched on as he was paraded around as the greatest player this town had ever seen. It was all over local news when he landed himself in jail, blowing out not just his knee, but an entire population’s hope for some part in his presumably destined greatness as well. If there's one thing Trini understands, it's failing to live up to expectations, and she thinks that maybe they're more similar than she'd originally thought.

“I really needed this,” he admits, eyes cast skyward as he juggles the football from hand to hand.

“Yeah?” she asks, an open invitation for him to say more, but without the pressure of feeling as though he has to.

“Yeah,” is all he says, and for Trini, that’s enough.

The silence still isn’t easy, but it’s not as strained as it once was, and when they both get up to leave for training, Jason offers her a ride in his truck.

“Thanks, but I actually have to go pick up my brothers from tutoring first,” she explains, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

“You have brothers?” he asks, legitimately curious to know just a little bit more about her.

“Two,” she answers, unable and unwilling to stop the fond grin that finds its way onto her lips as she thinks of her siblings. “They’re both younger than me, but Danny is the oldest and Alex is the baby - for now, anyway.”

“Really? I have a sister,” Jason replies, proudly in the way only an older sibling can be. “Pearl. She’s ten, in fourth grade.”

“Oh? Oh, yeah! I think she’s in Danny’s class - with Mrs. Durbin, right?” she says, noting the way he perks up at the mention of his sister’s teacher. “Pearl _Scott…_ I can’t believe I never made the connection before,” she laughs, feeling silly and just a bit giddy at the prospect of another thing they share in common.

“That’s wild,” he grins, chuckling at the fact that they hadn’t realized their siblings were classmates. “But then again, Angel Grove _is_ a pretty small school district.”

“Oh, please,” Trini scoffs, rolling her eyes. “You don’t _know_ small. I once lived on a base where K-12 shared a _single_ building. I had maybe four classmates in my actual grade level.”

“Alright, alright, you win,” he replies, holding his hands up in mock defeat. “Tiny girl likes her tiny schools.”

Trini’s eyes narrow in challenge, “I’m kicking your ass at training just for that.”

“I’m sure you will,” he nods, and somehow she knows he means it without a single shred of malice or male ego.

Trini grins and shuffles her feet, a little sad to leave, “Anyway, I gotta get going, so…”

“Yeah, of course! Don’t let me hold you up!” he says, waving her onward with a shooing motion. “I’ll see you later at training, yeah?”

“Yeah, see you later,” she confirms, offering Jason a two-fingered salute in farewell. As she walks away, she tosses casually over her shoulder, “Next time, I’ll show you how to play _real_ fútbol!”

“You’re on!” he agrees, and it’s still not a bridge, but maybe just the promise of a next time is all it takes to pour the foundations of one.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I'm sorry for the delay. Life just happens, and I haven't had much time to really sit down and write. This chapter focuses mostly on the Trimberly dynamic, though Billy works his way into a scene without meaning to. Also, it's a bit choppy, and they kinda go back and forth in how they get along, but they're still in the stage where they're not sure how to really handle the other. 11 days is kind of hard to build a love story around without completely bull rushing it, but I'd still really like to show their progression from strangers, to tentative friends, to something perhaps more. 
> 
> Next chapter will lean heavy on the Trimberly again, but I also have Jason/Trini planned at least one more time, a scene with Zordon and Alpha-5, and a key moment between Trini and Zack. We're inching ever closer to the night at the docks, and honestly, this was very much intended to be a one-shot, but I think I keep adding scenes because I'm dreading writing it. Oh well, more for you to read!
> 
> Enough talk, hope you like it!

Trini stalks the halls with a quiet ferocity, a brewing storm rumbling inside her chest as thunder crashes with every drum beat of her heart, lightning coursing through her veins as she seems to sizzle with restless energy. She moves with unknown purpose, scouring the school with no real target in sight, parting her way through the throngs of students like Moses and the Red Sea. She's about to round the corner into the science wing when the sound of laughter hits her ears, lofty and condescending in the way only a certain breed of bitch can be, and she knows she's finally found who she's been searching for.

“Oh my god, did you _see_ the look on her face?” Amanda gloats, eyes gleeful and cruel as she clutches Harper’s arm, bent over slightly in her amusement.

“I know, right?” the brunette agrees, snickering into a clenched hand as though she's being subtle ( _she's not_ ). “Totally priceless! I wish I'd gotten a picture!”

“Oh, please,” Amanda scoffs, a smirk twisting her features, “As if I’d let an opportunity like this get away. I got the perfect shot!”

“Oooh, send it to me,” Harper pleads, shaking her by the shoulders impatiently.

“Calm your tits, Harp,” she sighs, shoving the other cheerleader off as she digs into her pocket and pulls out her phone. “You’ll get your copy… and so will the rest of the school…”

Trini decides she's heard enough, marching up to the two without a shred of reluctance, steps powerful and concise as she strides towards them with all the rage of galing winds.

“God, that fucking bitch thinks she's so tough,” Amanda laughs, unaware of the whirlwind of fury blistering it's way down the hall, “She acts like she doesn't give a shit, but there were legit _tears_ in her eyes. By the time school is over, all of Angel Grove will know what a pathetic little baby Hart-”

“Hey, cool phone!” Trini interjects, snatching the device from her hand, sidestepping the retaliatory swipe as the blonde instinctively reaches to take it back. “Is this the iPhone 7? I'm more of an Android user myself, but I've been thinking of making the switch. Mind if I-”

“What the fuck? Give it back, you little twerp!” she seethes, growling as the younger teen steps back, dancing just out of reach as she makes a second attempt to grab her phone.

“Don't be rude, I’m only testing the tech,” Trini scolds, thumb swiping through Amanda’s gallery of photos as she dodges and evades, nonchalantly walking backwards as Harper joins in. She pauses as she finds the picture she's looking for, holding her hand up in a sign for them to stop, brows creased in a disapproving manner.

“Die ugly bitch?” she reads, mouth slanted in a frown, “No one will care? Tsk, tsk… nice hair? Oh, well, I'm not really sure whether or not that one's meant to be an insult - she's got lovely hair, am I right? But it's still vandalism, and I doubt Kimberly appreciates the new additions to her locker. She certainly doesn't look too pleased…”

In truth, Trini had no idea what she'd been getting into when she first approached the girls. Something had just felt terribly _off_ to her all day, roiling in her gut like rotten sewage, and when Kim skipped out at lunch, she just _knew_ it had something to do with her. Much like the pull that led her to Jason the day before, she let that feeling guide her, her mood souring the longer she looked, searching for the source to Kimberly's misery.

She isn't really sure what she'd been expecting, but it certainly isn't _this_. The image is angled just so, enough to capture both the words graffitied to her locker and the somber, weary expression of defeat that marrs Kim's otherwise flawless face, and it takes every ounce of self control for Trini to keep her cool. The anger thrashes about her like the churning of the sea, swirling violently in a whirlpool of emotion, but she knows that causing too big a scene will only do more harm than good.

So Trini does what she does best, pushing down the anger and the thought of physical retaliation, caging the bloodlust like the beast it is. Instead, she relies a bit more on her wit, leaning heavily on her uncanny ability to remain unnamed and unnoticed even after a whole year attending Angel Grove.

“You know what?” she sighs, shaking her head in faux remorse, “I don't think this is the phone for me.” She holds it out, offering it back to the befuddled Amanda, who tentatively leans in to grab it.

“... buuut, on second thought,” Trini rescinds, withdrawing the phone just as her fingers brush its screen, “everyone I know has been trying to convert me for as long as I can remember. It'll probably take some time getting used to, but if I'm anything, it's adaptable. The only thing is that I _really_ like to hike and do things outdoors, so I wanna make sure it can handle an accidental tumble, maybe take a few hits…”

Amanda’s eyes grow wide at the implications, raising a threatening finger to the Junior as she snarls, “Do you know who I am? I am Amanda _fucking_ Clark… you do _anything_ to my phone, and I will make sure the rest of your year is a living hell.”

Trini’s eyes flicker over her figure, trailing her from top to bottom as if she's sizing her up. Cooly, she replies, “I think the better question is: do you know who _I_ am?”

Amanda and Harper share a quizzical stare, trading hesitant, curious glances as they silently ask if the other knows. Tepidly, the blonde answers, “I dunno. Should I?”

“That depends on your answer,” Trini shrugs, a grin slowly seeping into her features. “So what is it? Yes or no, do you know who I am?”

She steps back, arms crossed over her chest as she gives Trini a once-over. Jaw tensing, she quirks her brow and haughtily replies, “If you were someone worth knowing, I'd know you by now.”

“Good answer. That's exactly what I’d hoped you'd say,” she smirks, forearm tensing as she clenches her fist around the phone. Trini doesn't crush it so much as she _pulverizes_ it, shards of broken glass crumbling to the floor as plastic and metal bend beneath her will, caving in until it no longer resembles the phone it once was.

Harper promptly shrieks, a broken, high-pitched whine that grates annoyingly in Trini’s ear. Amanda merely stares, stunned into silence at the display of strength, mouth agape in muted awe as her eyes bounce back and forth between the girl and the scrap pile in her hands, as if trying to reconcile in her head the image of this tiny teen and her outrageous act of defiance. No one has ever stood up to her before - not really, and certainly never to this extent.

She has no idea how to react.

“Why are you even defending her?” she eventually blurts out, wild and headstrong. “If you knew what that bitch did to me, you'd realize she deserves everything she's been given!”

“Oh, I _know_ what she did to you,” Trini says, calmly tipping her hand as she lets the shattered remains clatter to the floor. “Of course, I don't know the full details, but I know enough to get the basic jist of it.”

Glancing up, she adds, “You should really learn to speak with your indoor voices when you're in the locker room.”

(Amanda and Harper have the decency to at least _appear_ ashamed, blushing brightly because they know it's true.)

“Anyway,” Trini continues, dusting off her hands, “I know she sent that picture of you to Ty Fleming, and I know that what she did was inexcusable. No one has the right to violate another person’s privacy and trust in the way she did yours. I'm not condoning that behavior, and you didn't deserve what she did to you…

“But I also know that it wasn't completely one sided, that she didn't just one day decide she'd had enough of you. You and Ty went behind her back, had a nice little summer fling while she was gone visiting family in India… I'm not saying Kim had a valid excuse for sending him that photo, but the difference between what you two did to each other is that she was reckless and impulsive, twenty seconds of sheer stupidity versus deliberately and knowingly sleeping with your supposed best friend's boyfriend because you were jealous, and he was horny.”

“What? No-... that's not-” Amanda flushes, cheeks darkening a cherry red.

“Cut the victim act,” Trini barks, rolling her eyes. “It’s getting old, and she hasn't done anything to you since the start of the school year, but you and your merry band of bitches continue to torment her with every chance you get. Enough is enough. Grow up and learn to accept the consequences of your actions. Kimberly has – or, at the very least, she's _trying_ to, so why can't you?

“Maybe think about _that_ next time you want to try something with her. If not, well… think about your phone. I don't know. I don't care. Just back off, and we won't need to have a repeat of this conversation.”

Having said her piece, she doesn't let either of them a get a word in edgewise before she turns to leave, finger-gunning at them in farewell as she backs away. “Oh, and my name is Trini, by the way,” she calls, rounding the corner into the next corridor. “Not that you'll remember.”

 

* * *

 

Trini finds Kimberly exactly where she had hoped she wouldn't, standing in front of her locker as she stares down the slew of cruel words and vulgar drawings. Her eyes glisten in the harsh light of early afternoon, rimmed red with unshed tears as she sets her jaw and straightens out her shoulders, quickly dialing in the combination to her locker.

Trini crosses the distance between them in five quick steps, her approach mostly unnoticed as the door blocks her from view. Metal warps and dents with the force of her grip as she wiggles the piece loose, working it up and down before ripping it cleanly off its hinges. There's a brief twitch of her lips as she catches the dumbfounded look on Kimberly's face, but they're already five minutes late for Bio and she'd rather not be any later if it can be helped.

“Take your stuff out,” she commands, nodding her head to the bag and books still inside.

Kim gawks. “What?”

“Take it,” Trini repeats, and thankfully, Kimberly does as she's told.

With a quiet, “okay?”, she stuffs the last of her books into her bag before pulling it over her shoulder, taking along her favorite jacket as she moves to catch up with the already hastening Trini.

“You don't need a locker,” she claims, chucking the now useless door into the first classroom they pass. There's a deafening crash, followed by the distinct sound of shattering glass, and Trini trades a mischievous grin for Kimberly's perplexed smile. They go bolting for the end of the hall, pushing past the double doors into the next building; hands, arms, shoulders brushing as they run stride for stride, neither stopping until they've put plenty of distance between themselves and the scene of the crime.

Only when they're safely on the other end of school does Kim reach out, grasping for Trini’s hand as she gently urges her to stop. “Hey, hey… slow down,” she says, tugging her to a halt before she can get any further.

“Dude, c’mon,” Trini groans, “We’re already late to class, and we’ve probably got like three minutes before the teacher turns our tardees into an absent.”

“I know, but like… just give me a minute,” Kim pleads.

“A minute for what?”

Soft brown eyes meet her own, Kimberly's lower lip tucked between her teeth as she eyes Trini with a look she can't quite define. It's hesitant but hopeful, contemplative and seeking, as though she's searching for some sort of sign. Abruptly, she lurches forward, enveloping the Yellow Ranger in a grateful embrace, who tenses briefly at the unfamiliar contact.

“Uh, Kim?” she asks, meekly, cheek squished awkwardly into the crook of her neck.

“Yeah?” the older girl murmurs, still wrapped firmly around her frame.

“What are you doing…?”

“Hugging you,” Kim simply responds.

“Oh.” Her arms hover awkwardly around the taller girl, unsure with what to do with them; hesitant to touch, but strangely inclined to return the gesture. She settles for a firm pat on the back, something Trini's own father would give to her when he’s feeling unusually affectionate, clapping her palm between the sharp ridges of her shoulder blades. The seconds crawl at an excruciating pace, the hug seeming to last forever and a day, and Trini can't seem to untangle herself quickly enough when Kimberly finally moves to pull away.

“Okay, yeah. That's enough.  Good… good talk,” she says, planting herself firmly out of arm’s reach, lest Kimberly try for another.

The Pink Ranger only laughs, eyes crinkled with silent delight at the way Trini bumbles backwards. “Sorry,” she chuckles, “I know you're not super touchy, but I'm a hugger, and I just… it's been awhile since I've had someone in my corner. Thank you.”

Still feeling clumsy, Trini replies, “No, it's cool. It's totally cool. I didn't even really do anything, but, umm… yeah, that's what ffff-” She catches herself at the last second, adamantly ignoring the sudden spark in Kim’s eyes as she corrects, “That's what _teammates_ are for.”

“You mean friends,” Kim grins, gleefully. “That's what you were gonna say, right? That's what _friends_ are for.”

She shakes her head. “No. I very clearly said teammates.”

“Yeah, but _before_ that,” she notes, “you were gonna say something that starts with 'f’... something like, say… _friends_ perhaps?”

“No,” Trini denies, vehemently. “No, _no_ … I don't _do_ friends, remember? The 'f’ was for… for f-fucking awesome – _yeah_! Fucking awesome teammates, because I am fucking awesome, and that is what I do…”

Kimberly doesn't buy it and it clearly shows, her face set in a look of smug satisfaction as she grins from ear to ear. But she knows that Trini likes her boundaries clearly marked, and she's quickly approaching her daily quota for how far she can push it without overstepping. So she lets it go, easing back on the pressure, suppressing her more extroverted tendencies to match Trini’s introverted disposition.

Her face softens into something that resembles endearment, lips quirked in an affectionate smile as she murmurs, “Yeah, I guess you _are_ a pretty fucking awesome teammate.”

“ _Thank you_ ,” Trini sighs, visibly relaxing.

“But…” Kim adds, deciding to stretch her luck just a tad bit further, “you're an even better friend. If, y'know… you were into that kinda thing.”

Trini feels the heat rush to her cheeks, working her jaw tensely as she stubbornly avoids the other girl’s eye. It's a little ridiculous, she thinks, how quickly she'd let herself get attached to Kimberly – to Zack and Billy, even Jason too. Maybe it has something to do with their connection as Rangers, or maybe Trini is just getting soft, but there's something about these four that has her so disarmed, wanting and willing to let them in; perhaps not enough to let them through the door, but enough to at least let them stand on her porch and peer through the windows.

“We’re not friends,” she reiterates, tugging on the straps of her bag as she turns to walk away, noting the way Kim falters at her statement, “... not yet, anyway.”

It takes a moment for the words to sink in, even longer for them to process, but when they do, Kim’s face brightens. “Wait, so does that mean…?” she asks, seeking clarification.

“It means whatever you want it to mean,” Trini grunts, already halfway down the hall.

“So we're friends then!” she exclaims, trailing the girl as she continues to walk away.

“ _Except that_ ,” Trini replies, shooting her a pointed look over her shoulder. “All I'm really saying is that we have the _potential_ to be friends, but I still don't know you, and you don't know me. Not really, anyway.”

“Well, let's change that!” Kim suggests, finally catching up. “You and me. Krispy Kreme. After school, before training?”

Trini pauses, contemplating the offer. Eventually, she relents, a miniscule nod of the head as she agrees, “Sure, meet you there, or…?”

“I have a car,” she says, eagerly, “I’ve seen you take the bus, but if you want a ride, I can totally give you one. We can meet up at the front entrance?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Kimberly practically beams. “Great, can't wait!”

“Likewise,” Trini replies dryly, far more subdued in her enthusiasm. Kim continues to grin, and she offers one of her own in return, shifting nervously as the awkward tension grows thick and heavy. Inevitably, it becomes too much for her to handle, and with a quiet murmur of goodbye, she turns and hurries away.

She thinks she's finally put some distance between them when the sound of footsteps catch her ear. She risks a glance behind her and is met with the sight of Kimberly just a few feet behind, face contorting with confused annoyance as she grumbles, “You don't have to keep following me. I already agreed to hang out… what more do you want?”

Kim stumbles to a halt, tripping over her feet just as much as her words as she sheepishly replies, “We… w-we have the same class?”

Trini blinks. “Oh. _Right_. Well…” sweeping her arm forward, she answers, “ladies first, I guess.”

“If I'm a lady, then what does that make you?” Kim grins, stepping towards her.

“I dunno,” Trini shrugs, indifferently, “Chopped liver?”

Kimberly's face scrunches, nose crinkling at the way Trini seems to regard herself so lowly. “Please,” she scoffs, “chopped liver has nothing on you!”

“Alright then, I'll bite. What am I?”

“Mmm… well, you _did_ come to my rescue earlier, so if I'm a lady, I suppose that makes you the knight in shining armor,” she concludes, matter-of-factly.

It's enough to earn her an amused snort, Trini's lips stretched playfully as she retorts, “Sure, princess. I'll be your knight.”

“Oh, so I'm a _princess_ now?”

“Lady, princess… same thing,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Whatever, can we just go already? I can talk my way out of the occasional tardee, but there's no way my parents will excuse an absence unless I'm halfway into the casket.”

“Sorry, yeah, I guess we’ve wasted enough time,” Kimberly nods, dropping the act as she notices the way Trini continues to adjust the straps of her bags, her fists small but strong with the way they cling to the fabric. It means she’s getting anxious, and Kim knows she’s been toeing the line a little too long, pushing her further than she’s fully comfortable with despite the way she had joked back.

This time, it's her that takes the lead, walking ahead so that she's no longer a distraction. “Come on, we can tell the teacher you were helping me out with ‘girl stuff’ in the bathroom.”

“You know,” Trini remarks, as she follows closely from behind, “if you keep using that excuse, they’re eventually gonna catch on. You can’t _always_ be on your period.”

Glancing back, Kimberly smiles over her shoulder, a hint of mischief in her eye as she states, “I’ve been _‘on my period’_ since freshman year. I don’t think they’re gonna catch on.”

 

* * *

 

The bell above the door chimes, a soft tinkling of the device as it clangs against the metal and glass frame, alerting employees and patrons alike to the arrival of new customers. Trini allows Kimberly entry first, flourishing her hand in exaggeration as she mockingly bows, waving her through with a playful, “After you, princess.”

Somewhere in the last few hours it had quickly become a running gag between the two, and Trini finds the ease with which it rolls off of her tongue unusual but not entirely unwelcome. The older girl rewards her with a smile, and something burns warm and bright in her chest at the sight, bringing a smile to Trini’s own lips as she dutifully follows after.

The atmosphere is rich with the scent of coffee, heavy with the aroma of freshly brewed roast, and donuts pulled straight from the fryer. The smell is alluring, her stomach clenching in hunger as she imagines the sticky sweetness of the glaze, washed down by the smooth bitterness of a hot coffee. Trini is already reaching for her wallet when Kimberly stops her, nudging her hand away from the pocket of her bag as she pulls out her own wallet instead. “What do you want? It'll be my treat,” she says.

“What? No, it's cool, I can pay for my own. You don't have to.”

“I know, but I want to,” she insists, “Take it as a token of my gratitude for earlier.”

“I still don't even really know what you're thanking me for,” Trini shrugs, meekly averting her gaze, “If anything, I destroyed your locker more than those idiots did…”

“Maybe,” Kim murmurs, lips tugging in a minute smile, “but they dealt the real damage, and… and you helped fix it…”

Trini thinks there's some sort of hidden meaning behind her words, that Kimberly isn't talking about _just_ the locker, but she's always been terrible at reading subtext and she doesn't dare risk misinterpreting. Instead, she lets it slide, slipping into line as she pretends to peruse the menu. Kim idles beside her, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt as she looks around the shop avoiding her eye, disheartened by the lack of reply.

In spite of her best efforts, Trini can't help but sigh at the weird, heavy tension that seems to follow them wherever they go, flicking on and off at whim. One moment they seem to be hitting it off, casual and friendly, and the next, it's like neither of them know how to act or what to say. It's frustrating, of course, but mostly she just thinks it's sad; sad because Kimberly is so keen on becoming friends, and sad because Trini isn't sure she can be what this girl wants or needs.

They order their food and Trini lets Kimberly pay, more for her sake than her own. They grab napkins and forks (because it's 'buy two, get one free’ and they plan to share), and nab the last free table from beneath the nose of some pretentious, hipster wanna-be-writer. Settling into their seats, they consume their sweets in silence, sipping from their coffee cups and pointedly looking at anything else but each other.

Just when it's becoming too much for either of them to handle, Trini decides to go out on a limb and stabs her fork into the last bite of donut with a challenging _thunk!_ (Because if it worked with Jason, maybe it will work for Kim too?)

Kimberly, who's rubbing her arm and looking away, turns her attention back to the table. Her face replicates the same look of wild perplexity she’d had on during the locker incident, eyes flickering to Trini before cautiously taking her own fork and attempting to steal the pastry back.

With a miniscule smirk, Trini slides it away, napkin and all. Kim’s brows pinch, confused and a little annoyed, chasing the donut with her fork as the other girl once again evades. The Yellow Ranger grabs her hand, snatching the utensil from her grip as she flips her own fork upside down, the donut upturned tauntingly. Kim scoffs in amused frustration, their hands slapping as they fight over it, and somehow she manages to wrestle the donut away from her.

Trini tries to play dirty, leaning forward in her seat as she attempts to bite it, but Kim reads her easily and wags a finger in front of her face, mouthing a playful “no!” Trini grins and smacks it away, swiping her hand at the fork, only for Kim to raise it up. It quickly evolves into something of a game like king-of-the-mountain, chairs sliding back as their hands fly higher and higher. It eventually soars too high for either of them to reach, twisting mid-air before gravity calls it back, and the battle is back on as they trade hits once more.

Trini crows triumphantly as it lands in her grasp, slamming it victoriously against the table as Kim throws her arms up in exasperation. Her cheeks burn with how hard she's smiling, lips stretched impossibly wide as she soaks in the presence of the girl before her, happiness bubbling through her like a brook overflowing. Trini's entire focus is solely on Kimberly, every cell and fiber of her being seeming to vibe at the same frequency as the older Ranger.

In her excitement, she almost doesn't notice the bright flash of color, and it takes her a few seconds to realize that Kimberly's right arm is gloved in hot neon pink. “Holy shit,” she breathes, at the same time Kim chokes and points to her own hand, encased in a gauntlet of iridescent yellow.

Trading half-panicked, half-amused stares, they hide their arms beneath the table, looking around the shop to see if anyone had noticed. A man a few tables down glances in their direction, eying the two suspiciously as they stifle their laughter. But he merely rolls his eyes, as if to say _“kids these days!”,_ and returns to the conversation with the woman across from him.

“Okay, pinch me if I'm dreaming, but we totally just morphed right now, right?” Kim whispers, leaning conspiratorially towards the younger girl.

“I'm not sure that can be considered a full morph, but… but yeah, I think we did,” Trini whispers back, eyes still roaming vigilantly. “Maybe we should get out of here – just in case.” The armor had vanished almost as quickly as it appeared, but it wouldn't hurt to err on the side of caution, and she'd rather not have to explain to Zordon how they'd accidentally given away their Ranger identities.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Kimberly agrees, moving to grab their trash and extra napkins.

“Here,” says Trini, offering the slice of donut they had fought so hard over, “Last bite is yours.”

“You sure?” she asks, head tilted curiously. “You won it fair and square.”

“I know,” Trini replies, quirking her shoulders in a shrug, “But I didn't actually want it.”

Kim laughs and shakes her head, rolling her eyes in faux annoyance as she bends forward and eats it straight from the fork. Trini flushes lightly, grumbling beneath her breath about how she was supposed to take it and feed herself, but it gets lost beneath the smile she so hopelessly tries to hide. Kimberly grins around the mouthful of sugary dough, a tiny smear of chocolate blemishing her lips, and the earlier warmth she'd felt returns in full force.

Unfortunately, she doesn't get long to deduce the meaning behind it, the moment broken as the blaring of a car horn shatters the invisible bubble surrounding them. Curiosity gets the better of her and Trini turns to glare out the window, eyes widening as she spots a familiar figure standing obliviously in the street, staring awestruck at the storefront as cars swerve around him.

“What the fuck?” she cries, tearing her way out of the shop before Kimberly can even ask what's wrong. “Billy! What are you doing!?”

At the sound of her voice, he seems to snap out of his daze, startling as one angry driver nearly runs him over. “Oh… oh no, I'm sorry,” he stammers, shoulders pinching as he seems to curl in on himself defensively. “I didn't mean to get in the way. I was only checking the coordinates on my map, and-”

“Get out of the road, retard!”

“Move it, stupid!”

“Watch where you're going, you idiot!”

Trini snarls at the insults hurled, stomping into the road as she rushes to Billy’s side, who stands frozen and overwhelmed as the shouting grows louder and the honking more incessant. She refrains from shouting back, reluctant to add to the cacophony of noise, and gently brushes her hand against his - a brief warning to let him know she’s there - before she takes it fully and tugs him carefully onto the sidewalk.

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes once more, clutching the map protectively to his chest as she goads him onto the nearby bus bench. “I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble. I just got so excited, and when I get excited, I tend to lose sight of everything else around me.”

“Billy, it’s okay,” she assures, squatting in front of the bench so that she’s not standing over him, taking the least aggressive stance she can as she quietly checks him for injury. “I’m not mad at you. You scared the hell outta me, for sure, but I’m not mad. I promise.”

“You… you were scared?” he asks, confused and uncertain.

“Of course,” she replies, seeking his eyes for permission before reaching up and delicately sweeping the tips of her fingers through the fuzz of his hair. “I don’t want to see you getting hurt, silly.”

He nods in understanding. “Oh… that makes sense. I’m sorry for scaring you.”

Trini smiles and shakes her head, “Don’t be sorry, just don’t do it again. I know you get lost in your own world sometimes, but don’t forget about the rest of us out here, yeah?”

“Yeah, okay,” he agrees, mouth curled in a smile of his own.

“Good,” she says, pulling herself up to sit beside him, “So, now that we’ve got all that cleared up, mind telling me what you were doing out on the street?”

“Oh, um…” He hesitates, glancing down at the map still in his hands, “it’s nothing. I-It isn’t important.”

“Billy, it’s not nothing, and if it’s important to you, then it’s important to me,” Trini claims, voice calm and encouraging, “But if you’re not comfortable telling me, or if it’s something you don’t want to share, I understand. I’m only asking out of curiosity.”

He seems relieved that she doesn’t press for more, grinning gratefully as he replies, “It’s just something I’ve been researching for the past few days, but I want to go back and double-check my work before telling anyone about it. I’m almost positive everything is correct, but I’d hate to present my findings to you unless I was one-hundred percent certain of their accuracy. I-It’s not something I can risk getting wrong…”

“That’s fair enough,” she nods, reasonably. “Just let me know when you’re ready to share. I’ll be happy to listen.”

“You will?”

“Yeah, of course I will,” Trini grins, knocking her shoulder against his in a playful gesture, “I might not always be able to keep up, but I like listening to you talk. I like seeing your passion.”

“Most people think I'm annoying,” Billy replies, shoulders drooping. “And I get it. I don't think and process in the same way normal people do, so things tend to get lost in translation when I try to communicate with others.”

A frown carves its way across Trini’s lips, her chest tightening at the sheer unjustness of it all. “Billy, look at me,” she says, waiting for him do so before continuing, “Don’t let anyone shame you for the things you love, or for the way you act or how you speak. If they can't understand you, then it's because they're limited by their own perceptions and thoughts. Don't dumb yourself down just so the rest of us can keep up. You're ahead of the game, Billy, not the other way around.”

“You… you really mean that?” he asks, and it breaks her heart a little that he even has to ask, that he had been shot down enough times to warrant his reluctance to believe.

“I really do,” she insists, and the way he lights up kindles a fire in her chest, warm and bright, and filled with pure affection. It suddenly strikes her just how _fond_ she's grown of him in the past few days, how he had worked his way so effortlessly into her affections when she had so stubbornly claimed there was no more room for anyone else in her life.

Trini catches sight of Kimberly who, for one reason or another, hovers tentatively in the background, choosing to observe rather than engage. There's a faint spark of _something_ in her eye, a look she can't decipher, but it fans the flames burning slow and low in Trini’s chest, and that warmth becomes a blaze that spreads like wildfire through her veins. It hits her then that maybe Billy isn't the only one she's truly grown fond of, of how much more attached she is to them all than previously thought.

She must be smiling because Kimberly smiles back, teeth pearly and white, and Trini has to look away, only to glance over and realize Billy is smiling too. Groaning at the weird friendship-triangle she’d somehow found herself in, she stands up and brushes out her pants, avidly avoiding both their eyes. Clearing her throat, she tries to retain whatever shred of loner dignity she has left, tugging her beanie more securely atop her head as she nods her head in the direction of the quarry, “We should probably get going.”

“Oh, yes! We don’t want to be late for training,” Billy concurs, folding his map and stashing it safely within the inner pocket of his jacket. “Do you walk, or do you take the bus? I used to take the bus, but it only takes you as far as the gate checkpoint, and I’ve found that with our speed and endurance, I can run there in half the time. Of course, taking into account all the stops on the way, and-”

“Uh, actually-” Trini interjects, only to be interrupted herself.

“Hey, guys! Wait up!”

“Oh, Kimberly! Hello!” Billy greets, waving cheerfully.

“Hi, Billy,” she grins, stepping in line with the Blue Ranger as Trini shuffles ahead, trying (and failing) to channel the cool indifference she’d held only a few short days ago, before the others had literally exploded into her life and turned her into this sentimental softie she can hardly recognize as herself.

“Hey, Trin!” Kim calls, before she can get too far (and boy, does she try). “My car is the other way, remember?”

Billy looks at Trini, then at Kim, and back to Trini. “You two came here together?”

“Yeah,” Kim nods, a teasing hint to her voice as she adds, “We were just finishing up our donut date at Krispy Kreme.”

“Oh, I didn't know you were dating! Congratulations!” he claps, ecstatically.

Trini chokes on a combination of air and her own spit, whirling around so quickly she nearly suffers whiplash. “We are _not_ dating!” she hisses, in a voice that is shamefully more shrill than she'd intended.

Billy tilts his head curiously, pointing to Kim as he replies, “Oh, but she just said you two-”

“It wasn't a date!”

“It was _kind of_ a date,” Kim counters, much to Trini’s chagrin.

“It wasn't a date,” she repeats, eyes narrowing at the older girl, silently challenging her to say otherwise.

“We’re working on it,” Kim concludes, flashing Billy a grin, who’s hard pressed to follow but nods along amiably.

Trini feigns ignorance, stomping ahead of the two as she struggles to stay mad, fighting desperately to save an image of herself that had already long been shattered. It’s a losing battle, but as she catches sight of their smiling faces reflected in the windows of passing buildings, Trini can’t help but think that maybe she’s still come out a winner.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things:
> 
> 1) I kind of wanted to delve into the Amanda issue a little, since it was sort of skipped over in the movie. I love Kim, but what she did was super fucked up, and I wanted Trini to acknowledge that. Honestly, the amount of shit that gets spread in a girls' locker room is mind boggling, and I don't doubt she got an earful of the story. But I also didn't want her to completely condemn Kim, and she does know that she's trying to be better, and the whole 'eye-for-an-eye' thing was getting old in her opinion.
> 
> 2) It's basically a fandom wide agreement that Trini calls Kim some form of princess, but it's never explicitly explained why. Sooo... I figured I'd make up my own lil reason behind it! 
> 
> 3) Billy has a mind of his own, I swear. I had no intentions of writing anything but Trimberly, but somehow at the end, he came waltzing in looking for the Zeo Crystal. I mean, what do you want from me? I can't say no to Billy!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been forever, and I do apologize for that. Aside from a major case of writers block, my old laptop finally decided to kick the bucket and it took a little while for me to finally purchase a new one. I'll be honest, I'm not super pleased with this chapter. I feel like I'm still getting back into the habit of writing, so sorry if it feels a little choppy. Also, I wanted to make a much longer chapter with several more scenes, but I've had this sitting in my docs for awhile now and I felt it best to let it go, let it out there, so I can start "fresh" in the next chapter without all that sorta baggage that came with the long wait on this one. 
> 
> Anyway, that's enough rambling for now. You're not here for my A/N's anyway, lol. Please let me know what you think!

Trini will be the first to acknowledge that she's done some stupid, reckless, morally questionable things in her life, but nothing so terrible as to warrant the horrendous fate that befalls her now. Her brows crinkle, lips twisted in disgust, and as she stares out the window at the passing scenery, she vows to make a change if it means this will be the first, last, and  _only_  time she's subjected to Kimberly Hart's singing.

" _-and I miss you. And I need you. And now I wonder-"_

Honestly, she  _wishes_  it was because Kim has a terrible voice, because at least then she'd have a valid reason for her misery. As it stands, the girl could sing the  _dictionary_  and albums would still fly off the shelf, her voice in perfect harmony with the music that blares out her car's stereo. Regrettably, her choice in song has the unwelcome effect of transporting Trini back to the early 2000's, a time she thankfully has no personal recollection of, but is continuously bombarded with its pop culture by nostalgic twenty-something's and (evidently) peppy ex-cheerleaders with absolutely no sense of shame.

" _-if I could fall into the sky, do you think time would pass me by?"_

' _Not. fast. enough.'_ Trini silently laments, clenching and unclenching her fist to expel the restless energy that's been building up since the moment she was trapped in this hell hole on four wheels.

" _-cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles, if I could just see you tonight…"_

Trini would walk a thousand miles straight into the path of an  _oncoming train_  if it meant relief from this assault to her eardrums, desperately wishing she hadn't lent Billy her headphones. He sits in the backseat, a peaceful smile on his lips as he listens to a podcast, oblivious to the torture she's forced to endure as Kimberly continues to belt out lyrics. Vaguely, she wonders if it would be less painful to simply open the passenger door and roll out onto the interstate; at least with her powers, she knows she'd most likely survive, and that  _semi_ a few cars back is looking rather inviting…

Fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on which way you look at it – she's saved from making that decision, the song coming to an end as the last few notes fade out. Sadly, her reprieve is short lived, the next track kicking in as an all too familiar tune blasts through the speakers.

" _I threw a wish in a well. Don't ask me, I'll never tell-"_

The car swerves into the shoulder, narrowly missing the guard rail as Kimberly leans across the center console, one hand on the wheel as the other clutches frantically to Trini's bicep. Wind rushes in through the open door, her hair billowing as she attempts to throw herself out, held back only by the firm grip to her arm.

"TRINI! WHAT THE FUCK!? GET BACK IN THE CAR!" she screams, eyes shot with panic as she pumps the brakes.

Trini merely goes limp, hoping her dead weight will be enough to break Kim's hold, and she'll mercifully go flying out into traffic.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?" Billy cries, tearing off his headphones.

"I DON'T KNOW, BUT-... SHIT, I'M PULLING OVER."

Five minutes later they're back on the road, a content smile on Kimberly's lips as she hums along to 'Party in the USA'. Trini sits sullenly, the doors and windows set on child lock, as she stares scathingly at the hand interlocked with her own, their fingers twined to keep her from attempting another break for it.

_Gross._

But as stubbornly as she refuses to acknowledge it, Trini has to admit that Kim's hand is the softest thing she's ever held.

(Even more reluctantly, she kind of likes it.)

Thankfully, her penance is short lived, and she's only forced to endure the compulsory hand-holding through Kim's rendition of 'Since U Been Gone', and 'Shake It Off' (which very nearly resulted in the loss of Trini's arm as she'd danced along) before they're pulling into the gravel lot just outside the quarry gates. The doors are unlocked and she all but rips the seat belt out of its latch, barely waiting for it to retract before she's shoving open the door and tumbling out. Billy follows next, stepping out of the back seat in a far more graceful manner, and Kim rolls her eyes with feigned annoyance as she shuts the driver side door.

"Oh, c'mon!" she says, stepping around the car towards Trini, who eyes her warily. "You act like I made you listen to nails on a chalkboard."

Considering Trini's own taste in music, she might have actually  _preferred_ the chalkboard, but loathe as she is to admit, it hadn't been Kim's choice in genre that had her so eager to flee (at least, not the  _second_  time). Truthfully, it was the growing sense of contentment that had her so spooked; the strange, fleeting bout of euphoria she had felt when Kim caught her eye, a smile playing at her lips as she'd sung along, hand tightening affectionately around her own. It was as though her heart had stuttered, and barring arrhythmia or some other form of cardiovascular disease, she's pretty sure it isn't supposed to  _do_ that.

It's yet another thing to add to her growing list of concerns, more evidence to prove to herself that she truly is going soft. Which,  _again_ , is utterly ridiculous, because she's only known – not to be mistaken with 'known of' – these kids for the better part of a week, and she refuses to believe she's spent the past few years building a wall around her heart, only for them to ignore it completely and waltz right in.

It isn't  _fair_ , that she would spend so much time alone, forced into a self-imposed emotional exile, only to forget so easily why she does it in the first place. Just the mere thought of it sends her reeling – literally, and figuratively – and suddenly, everything becomes too much. Shouldering her bag, Trini grunts something unintelligible in reply and jumps the fence, thankful for both the physical and metaphorical barrier it places between her and them.

She's grateful that Kim seems to understand her spontaneous need for space – or, at the very least, respect it – and it's not long before she loses sight of them completely, stalking ahead through the woods before either of them can even scale the chain link. Regretfully, Billy doesn't seem to catch the memo, his longer legs allowing him to catch up quite easily despite her head start, and not for the first time in her life, Trini curses her short stature. He's marching side-by-side within a few moments, and despite her agitated mood, she simply can't bring herself to ask him to leave.

"May I ask you a question?" he asks, shooting down whatever hopes she'd had that they could at least walk in silence.

"You just did," she answers wryly, "but feel free to ask at will."

His head tilts curiously, a thoughtful expression on his face, as if he's searching for the right words to say. She can see that he's trying to be considerate, attempting to soften the statement instead of blurting it out as he often does, and she feels a sliver of that earlier panic recede. If she's going to turn soft for anyone, it's comforting to know that Billy seems to care for her as much she's learning to care for him.

"It's okay," she encourages, nodding for him to speak freely, "Say what you want to say."

"Oh, um… well, alright then," he replies, offering a timid smile, "Are you okay?"

Trini tenses at the question, faltering briefly in her steps before she manages to shake off her initial instinct to shut down. It might work with the others, but Billy – through no fault of his own – isn't always as perceptive when it comes to reading emotions, and she doesn't want to accidentally hurt his feelings just because she doesn't know how to deal with her own.

"Why do you ask?" she responds instead, hoping his answer will help her come up with one of her own.

But all he replies with is, "I don't know. I just felt that I should," and Trini is even less certain of what to say than she was before.

"It's hard to explain," she eventually replies, shrugging indecisively. "I can't really put it into words, but… yeah, I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" he asks, quietly, in a way that doesn't come off as pushy. "I don't mean to pry. I'm just worried. You… you seem sad, or maybe sad isn't quite the right word, but… earlier, in the car. After you tried to throw yourself out – which, by the way, was  _very_ dangerous – you kind of looked at Kim with… well, I'm not sure what you call it. But you looked at her, and then when we parked, you looked at her again. But it was different, like you were in pain, or…"

"I wasn't in pain," she interjects, cutting him off before he can lose himself to one of his infamous rambles, "I just…" Trini sighs, shaking her head as she tries to put it in a way she knows Billy can understand. "Look, I'm just not really good at dealing with… other people."

"Really? You seem pretty good at it to me," he replies, brows scrunched in confusion.

She scoffs, "That's because I'm great at pretending."

"Are you really?" Trini's eyes narrow questioningly, and Billy scrambles to recover, "What I meant to say is, are you really pretending? Because I may have trouble differentiating between serious and joking, but I can still tell you that you're probably the most genuine person I know. Most people look at me and think I'm weird. They only ever seem to talk  _at_ me, but… but you talk  _to_  me, like I'm a real human being and not some caricature to be made fun of, and… and I don't think that's something you can really fake."

Trini's gaze shifts timidly, "No, I…I guess not."

"Also, if I might add," he goes on, a little shy but undeterred, "My dad used to always say that it's okay to let yourself feel emotion. You might not always understand what you're feeling, or why you're feeling it, but it's okay. It's better to let yourself experience the moment than to let it pass you by, untouched and unappreciated. Maybe that's why you have difficulties with other people… you think too much, and feel too little. N-not to say that you're cold! Only that maybe you deny yourself the ability to feel freely in favor of… uh, what I believe Kim refers to it as your 'image of bad-assery'? Her words, not mine!"

She laughs softly at that, murmuring a quiet, "Yeah, I-I guess… thanks, Billy."

"What for?" he blinks, "I didn't do anything. You told me to speak, and I spoke."

A smile fights its way onto her lips, and Trini shakes her head, shoulders lifting in a half-hearted shrug, "Just for being you."

And it's true. Because in typical Billy fashion, he had spoken candidly, unfiltered and unconstrained, and there's something in his honesty that makes Trini want to be honest with herself. It occurs to her that maybe she's grown so accustomed to life in the background that she's forgotten what it's like to be the protagonist of her own story, that she's played the role of supporting cast for so long, her first instinct had been to run away when someone outside of her family actually bothered to notice her.

But it isn't so much that people are talking to her that has her so unsettled, rather that Trini finds herself wanting to  _talk back_ , reaching out when all she's ever done is pull away. It scares her –  _terrifies her, really_  – because she had already sort of resigned herself to the fate of a nobody, one of those blurred faces in the backdrop of a photograph, intentionally obscured in order to highlight the features of those in center focus. Now, however, she finds herself stepping out of the shadow of ambiguity, taking a bit of that spotlight for herself, wanting to know and be known.

Perhaps Trini isn't pretending so much as she's been lying to herself, deceiving herself into believing that what she feels for these four kids is anything but earnest. She realizes that for every moment she's shared with the Rangers – together, and individually – it was the times that she allowed herself to let go, to act without restraint, that led to some of the best memories she's had in recent history. Baking cookies with Billy, hanging out on train cars with Zack, playing football with Jason, the donut fight with Kim; none of that would have happened if she hadn't pushed past her comfort zone, if she had closed herself off instead of opening up to new experiences.

She still doesn't think she's ready to call them friends, doesn't think that that's something that will ever come quite so easily, but she's finally willing to admit that maybe she cares for them in a capacity beyond teammates. She's even willing, perhaps though only to herself, to admit that what she feels when she's with them is something very close to happiness, a feeling foreign but only to the times she's spent alone with her brothers.

If Trini were the hugging type, she's certain she would have launched her arms around him by now. Fortunately, Billy is less of a hugger than even she, so she settles for something less invasive but just as effective. Holding out her fist, she smirks as Billy gives a delighted grin of his own, his knuckles tapping hers in an enthusiastic bump.

"Thanks," she says again, and this time, Billy takes her gratitude without question. The remainder of their journey is spent in companionable silence, the two Rangers walking side by side as they traverse the rocky hillside towards the cliff. It's a short trek, made only shorter by their enhanced physicality, but she's grateful – as fleeting as it is – for the mental reprieve.

"Took you long enough," Kim teases as they approach, leaning casually into a large boulder as she taps away on her phone.

Trini nearly does a double take at the sight, having sworn Kimberly was far behind them the entire time. "What the hell? How did you get here before us?"

The taller girl shrugs, "Billy said he wanted to talk to you alone, and to make sure that you were okay, so I ran around the quarry and came up the other side."

Trini's chest tightens at the admission, constricting with an emotion she can only describe as warm and light, settling into her bones with all the comfort of a blanket draping over cold shoulders. Her eyes flicker towards Billy, gaze softening with a fondness she no longer tries to fight, before shifting to Kim, the corner of her lip upturned in a smile as an additional surge of affection rushes through her. Once again, she's stunned by the realization that maybe these kids really  _do_  care for her, and though Trini is hard pressed to understand  _why_ , it's something she thinks that maybe she can get used to…

"Oh, there it is again!"

Brows pinched in confusion, she turns her attention back to the Blue Ranger. "There's what again?" she asks, befuddled by his abrupt outburst.

"That look you just gave Kim," he replies, thoughtfully, "I thought it seemed familiar back in the car, but seeing it again, I think I recognize it now. My dad… he used to look at my mom the same exact way."

"... what is  _that_  supposed to mean?" she asks, playing cool despite the sudden heat of her cheeks. Trini doubts Billy understands the implication of his words, but she's helpless to stop her mind from wandering in that direction, of finding subtext where it doesn't belong. It's not the sort of thing she's keen on touching upon, even with a ten-foot pole, and yet she finds herself asking anyway, poking the metaphorical stick directly between its eyes.

"What's what supposed to mean?" he asks, head tilted curiously. "I was merely stating an observation I'd made. Why? Is it supposed to mean something?"

"No!" she's quick to reply, clearing her throat before more calmly repeating, "No, it… it doesn't mean anything." Sparing a glance towards Kim, she's relieved to find her snapping selfies by the edge of the cliff, grateful that the other girl is still respecting their space to talk. Unfortunately, at that same moment, Zack makes his appearance in a blur of black and white, barreling into the unsuspecting Kim as she swipes through filters for her next photo.

"Yo, guys!" he greets with his usual enthusiasm, looking as though he'd ran there full tilt, "What's u–oh! Whoa, sorry, didn't see you there…"

He scrambles for the other Ranger as she balances precariously on the very edge of the cliff, one leg stuck out as a balance as she fights to stay upright. Her back is arched, arms flailing to find purchase on something –  _anything_ – to hold onto, and Trini realizes that this is literally the worst time to freeze, but Kim's shirt rides up to reveal a well toned abdomen, and her mind momentarily blanks.

Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

It's only when Billy eagerly remarks, "Oh, my dad used look at my mom that way too!" that Trini realizes she's been staring, her face ripening with shame. Shooting him a tepid glare, she mouths, "Billy, shh!" before rushing over to help Zack with Kim, who seems to have only made matters worse.

Somehow, despite Trini's best efforts, all  _three_ of them still end up tipping over the edge.

…

It's the longest damn fall of her life.

* * *

 

"Are you sure you don't need a ride?"

Trini glances up from where she's packing her bag, gaze landing upon the older girl as the boys run ahead towards the water barrier, eager to leave after another grueling session spent training in the Pit. "I'm good, thanks," she replies, offering an assured nod.

"You  _positive_?" Kim insists, for what Trini is sure is already the fourth or fifth time.

"Yep."

"Is it because you're worried I'll start singing again?" she asks, eyes taking on a mischievous gleam.

Trini's jaw tenses, the muscles of her cheeks flexing as she bites back a grin, "No, but next time you decide to  _child lock_  me in your car, I'm going to  _rip_ the door off its hinges."

"Fair enough. But next time you decide to throw yourself out onto the freeway _,_  I might not be so inclined to stop you."

"Yeah, well, maybe I wouldn't feel the need to fling myself into the middle of a busy interstate if you listened to music that doesn't make me want to  _claw_ my face off."

"Says the girl who listens to ear grating death metal! At least my music is catchy!"

"So is  _herpes_ ," Trini rebuts, slinging her bag over a shoulder, "that doesn't make it special! But, like… y'know, if we're being honest here, I feel like even  _that_ would only be half as painful."

The Pink Ranger stares, eyes wide and mouth agape, as if she's not entirely certain the girl before her is even real. "You're incorrigible," she eventually concludes, throwing her arms up in exasperation.

"Ooh… big word," Trini retorts, the earlier grin still toying at her lips.

"Bigger than you," Kim counters, coyly.

Her eyes narrow dangerously, "That's a low blow, Hart…"

"Really? I'm surprised it could even reach you down there," she says, her own features fighting to stay neutral as Trini's face blotches with red.

"Get out!" she growls, pointing in the direction of the entrance pool.

It's an instinctive reaction, but Trini is far from mad, finding it almost refreshing to trade quips with someone who was actually capable of keeping up. It's not something she gets to experience often, and though she and Kim still struggle to find similar footing, they had, over the course of the afternoon, found a tentative rhythm that they could both play to. Truthfully, Trini enjoys the banter far more than she's willing to admit out loud, but there's no denying the flicker of attraction she feels towards the other girl; nothing of the romantic sort, but the kind of attraction that comes with a sense of inevitability, like two puzzle squares that haven't yet found their fit.

Kim cracks beneath the intensity of Trini's glare, hand flying to her face as she ducks into it, smothering the snort that escapes her. "Sorry," she breathes, waving her free hand in defeat as the younger girl fixes her with a callous stare. "I might have gone too far with that one."

Trini's own carefully controlled mask slips at the concession, giving way to an amused smirk as she relaxes her stance. "Princess, please," she scoffs, "if that's the best you've got, I don't think we can be friends."

"Wait, so… we're friends now?" Kim asks, perking up at the word as she often does.

"We're working on it," Trini shoots back, echoing her earlier sentiments to Billy.

"I can live with that," she beams, bumping her shoulder into hers. Trini nudges her back, half-shoving the other girl off of her, earning a peal of laughter in response. "Ow," she whines, though she's far from hurt, "Be gentle. I'm going to bruise if you push me any harder."

"Like you'd even notice," Trini replies, rolling her eyes as she points out the various bumps and bruises already sported by the other girl. "You look like shit."

"Only for you," Kim grins, tossing her hair back as she bats her eyes playfully.

"Pass," says Trini, face twisting in a grimace, "Hard,  _hard_ pass."

Kim tuts, eyes narrowed as she huffs, "Now you're just being mean!"

"Or, I'm just being honest," Trini smirks, bracing against the retaliatory swat that Kim sends her way. "Hey, hey! If you hit the Putties half as hard as you hit me, you wouldn't be looking the way you do!"

"Shut up, I hate you," she grumbles, though Kimberly holds no malice, only giddy satisfaction at the ease with which they converse. It surprises her how well they click when Trini isn't playing emotional keep away, and she finds herself further enamored with the enigma that is her teammate. Wistfully, she wonders if things between them could always be this easy…

"You say that now, but wait until you actually get to know me," Trini grins, "Then you'll  _really_ hate me."

"I doubt that," she laughs, eyes luminous with a sort of unrestrained delight, "I think I find you too irresistible to ever truly hate."

"Irresistible?" Trini repeats, brow lifted in playful mockery.

"Interesting," Kim half-corrects.

" _Bland_ ," the other chastises.

"Charming," she tries.

" _Repulsive_."

"Funny."

" _Sarcastic_."

"Warm-hearted and kind!" Kim nearly growls, and Trini finds an amused sort of satisfaction at the way her jaw clenches in stubborn frustration.

"Gold medalist at the Asshole Olympics, and reigning champion of the annual I-Don't-Give-A-Shitathon three years running," Trini quips, much to the Pink Ranger's growing chagrin.

"Oh my god, why are you like this?" she sighs, heavy and exasperated.

"I dunno, ask my mom," Trini shrugs, "She could probably give you a detailed list of reasons why, in alphanumeric order,  _with_  sources – namely Google, but still. Gotta give the woman credit where credit is due."

Kim eyes her warily, "I can't tell if you're actually being serious or not."

"I wish I was joking, but…" she trails off, offering another shrug in way of explanation, "It's just the way she is."

"That sounds rough," she replies, expression softening into that of sympathy.

"It is what it is," Trini says, averting her gaze.

Kim knows a sore subject when she sees one, deviating from the topic as she pulls out her phone and checks for the time. "It's getting pretty late… are you  _sure_ you don't need a ride back to town?"

"For the last time,  _yes_."

She frowns, a little unsure and a lot reluctant to simply leave her there alone. "Alright, well… are you just gonna hang around here or–?"

"Yeah, uhm… I'm actually gonna stick around for a little while," Trini replies, scratching shyly at the back of her neck. "I need to catch up on some meditating… might hang out with Zordon and Alpha…"

Kim doesn't seem very convinced, but she's hard pressed to find a reason to stay, already cutting it close to curfew by staying even just a few minutes more. "If you say so," she murmurs, resigned to the fact that she's used up all her 'Trini time' for that day. "But you'll text me, won't you? To let me know you got back home safe?"

Trini rolls her eyes, "Sure, whatever, mom."

"Or… y'know," Kim adds, toeing her shoe into the gravel and sand, "You can text me anytime, like if you're bored or whatever…"

The other girl laughs, "It's kinda funny. Less than a week ago you didn't even know my name, let alone what class we shared. Now you're asking me to hang out and to text with you."

"... right, that's a fair answer."

Trini shakes her head, taking pity at the way Kim's face glows with regret and shame. "I said it was  _funny_ ," she speaks up, "not that I wouldn't."

"So does that mean you'll–"

"Goodbye, princess," she cuts off, nudging Kim towards the pool. It's a bit blunt, but she's kind of over the conversation at this point; not necessarily tired of the other Ranger, but the constant reassurances and corrections is enough to wear anyone a bit thin, and she'd rather not turn snappy after all the progress they'd made that day.

"What? But–"

"Drive safely!" she throws over her shoulder, hand lifted in a dismissive wave as she makes her way into the ship. She ducks behind one of the massive arched columns as soon as she's through the door, curling herself into the shadows as she waits and listens, only reemerging once she's heard the tell-tale splash of Kim exiting through the water. Not to be sketchy, but she doesn't exactly want to be followed, and once she's certain the other girl is gone, Trini continues along to the heart of the ship, startling an unsuspecting Alpha as he tinkers away at the main control board.

"Master Trini!" he exclaims, setting his tool aside to dash around the panel and greet her. "You're back so soon!"

"I never left," she grins, and although his short, lanky, robotic figure will forever remain the stuff of nightmares, Trini will admit to having grown rather fond of his quirky attitude and dry, witty humor. She'd even begun offering him gifts, little trinkets and knick knacks, everyday things she found mundane or boring but knew he'd see as fun novelties from the outside world.

(In all honesty, it was more or less a ploy to keep him out of her bag, especially after she'd found him snooping around her things, murmuring his fascination as he'd pulled out a bright green tampon and attempted to rave with it like he'd seen in some of the dance videos Zack had shown him. After ripping it from his grasp and hurriedly explaining to him that " _just because it's green, that doesn't make it a glow stick!_ " she'd traded him a fidget spinner and promised to bring him more things so long as he stayed out of her belongings.)

"I assumed you would have gone home with the other children."

"Did you really think I'd forget?"

"I had hoped not," he admits, tone sheepish yet eager, "but you  _did_ hit your head rather hard in training today…"

"And  _whose_ fault is that?" she replies, staring pointedly at the robot.

"Yours," he answers, as blunt as a rusted spoon.

Trini scoffs in feigned offence, "I see how it is. I guess you don't want to see what I brought you today then…"

"Err… did I say  _you?_  Sorry, English is like my ten thousandth language! I meant Zack! It's all Zack's fault!"

It was, in fact,  _Alpha's_  fault for distracting her mid-fight, but Zack is a good alternative and an acceptable answer as far as she's concerned. "Suck up," Trini chides, though she laughs and rolls her eyes to show she's joking, dropping her backpack to the floor to search for his daily treats. Kneeling, she digs into the secondary compartment and pulls out a pack of colored paper and a bag of art supplies, presenting it to the robot with little fanfare.

Of course, he's absolutely ecstatic regardless,  _oohing_ and  _ahhing_ as he flips through the stack and marvels at the different colors. "Oh! The material is somehow both coarse but smooth, and the colors are so vibrant and bright! Look, Master Trini, they have Yellow like you!"

"Mmm-hm," she nods, amused at his excitement. "It has all the Ranger colors, plus orange, purple, white… a few others too, I think?"

"Ah, yes! I see!" he says, lifting a sheet to the light for a better view, "And what is the function of this device?"

"It's not a device. It's just… it's  _paper_ ," she shrugs, turning the bag of supplies over and spilling its contents onto the floor of the ship. "You write on it, or… y'know, you can make art with it. I brought you some pencils and markers so you can draw, a small watercolor set if painting is more your thing, a few stencils so you can trace shapes–"

"This is most intriguing, but I'm afraid I do not understand the concept of art," he remarks, head tilted with curiosity.

"What do you mean?" she asks, mildly perplexed by the statement. "Art is art. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or technical… just… whatever you're feeling at the time."

"Whatever… I'm feeling?" he repeats, tentative and unsure.

"Yeah, like… like this," she explains, grabbing a pencil and sketching out a quick sunflower. "There, see? Easy peasy. Now you try."

Alpha takes the offered pencil, hesitantly touching its tip to a blank sheet and carefully dragging it across the surface. He glances at the Ranger, uncertain of his actions, but Trini urges him on with an encouraging nod, and so he persists. He continues to scribble nonsensically into the paper, and though it creates no clear, defined image, he finds a strange satisfaction in the way it fills the page, squiggles and lines taking the place of once empty space.

He turns again to the girl, seeking her approval, and she gives him a thumbs up for his effort. "Good job, Alpha."

"Thank you, Master Trini," he replies, catching sight of the flower she had drawn earlier and adding, "It is a pleasant pastime, though I believe my skill to be far less superior than your own. As you can see, my creation isn't quite as pretty as yours."

Trini snorts and bops him on the head, knuckles clanging against his metallic skull. "Don't be ridiculous. It doesn't have to be pretty to be beautiful," she says, "It's beautiful because it exists. It's beautiful because you made it."

"I'm not sure I follow…"

"Of course you don't," she sighs, snatching her phone from her back pocket, "Let me introduce you to a guy who can probably help you understand better than I can. You said you've researched our databases, right? Have you ever heard of Bob Ross?"

"No, I don't believe I have."

The Yellow Ranger smirks as she pulls up a Youtube tutorial, "Then you're in for a treat."

Twenty minutes later, Alpha is a happy little robot painting happy little trees, and Trini can finally meditate in peace.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I was stuck on what to write for the longest time, but thankfully I worked through it and here we are. Not gonna lie, my writing sort of took a dive off the deep end, so it probably isn't up to my usual par. But I'm just grateful to be able to put something out for you guys to read, and I hope you enjoy it regardless.

"Hey, Zordon. What's it like?"

Trini sits on her pedestal and rests, the warm glow of the grid bathing her in its light. She snacks on a bag of Takis, fingers coated in a light dusting of spicy red seasoning, fending off a curious Alpha as he begs for a sample despite his overwhelming lack of mouth to consume it with – or  _stomach_ , for that matter as well.

The massive wall flickers to life, the pixelated cubes shifting and rearranging as Zordon reveals his presence. "What is what like?" he asks, his voice booming through the empty chamber.

"What's it like to morph," she clarifies, scoffing and rolling her eyes as she finally relents, tossing a chip to the overzealous android. (Pitifully, he whines as it all but disintegrates beneath his grasping hands, crushing the chip to a handful of crumbs. " _You get_ _ **one**_ _,"_  her glare clearly states, as he turns back to stare mournfully.)

"To morph is to assume your armor, and to assume your armor is to accept your destiny as a Power Ranger," Zordon replies, reciting the same old narrative he'd been spewing over the past week since this whole ordeal began.

"No, yeah. I get that part," she scowls, tempted to throw her water at him just to see if he'd fry. "But that's not what I meant. I'm asking what does it  _feel_  like to morph?"

It's surprising how even a talking wall can look baffled, murmuring a stoic, "I'm afraid I don't understand," that has Trini second guessing how much Zordon actually claims to know.

"Of course you don't," she sighs, crumpling her bag of Takis and chucking it into a random corner, Alpha zipping after it. Ignoring his indignant cry of, " _Ay, yi, yi! This has no nutritional value – why would you humans eat it?!"_ , she pulls herself to her feet and stands at her designated platform, feeling that familiar tug of  _something_  that calls to her every time she attempts to access the grid. "I'm not talking about what comes  _after_  the morph. I'm talking about the process of morphing itself."

"Explain," he commands, and because she's curious, she does.

"Look," she begins, "You say the armor is already inside of us and that we have to connect to the Morphing Grid in order to be able to pull it out. But you don't tell us how to  _do_ that. All you say is 'think only of each other' and it's magically supposed to open up for us. But what does that even  _mean?_  What am I supposed to think about?"

"Them," Zordon replies sternly, "You think about  _them_."

"Yeah, okay!" she retorts, frustration bubbling through, "You've said that like a million times! But what  _about_ them am I supposed to think about? Do I just chant their names in my head? Do I think about their assigned color? Am I supposed to try and read their mind? Like, you need to be more specific than–"

"You think about their favorite food!" he bellows, with such force she feels it in her bones, reverberating up her spine and down to her toes, "You think about Mangapaya jelly. Jujube berry pie. Celtuce salad. You think about meals cooked before a fire and shared beneath the stars. You taste the sweet, the sour, the bitter… but you take nourishment from their joy, feed yourself on their smiles, satiate yourself with the sound of their laughter.

"You think about their passion, their interests, and their hobbies. You think about their favorite stories, reminisce on tales from their adolescence and remark over how far they've come in the cycles since. You think about their little quirks and oddities, about what makes them unique.

"You… you think about the way they make you feel, about the camaraderie and friendship you've built – the bond that cannot be broken. You think about home, about the place where you grew and those you left behind… but when you turn and look at them, the distance no longer seems so far. Because  _they_  are your home now, the missing pieces that make you whole…"

Zordon trails off, head lifted in a far off gaze, and though she resents him for treating them like children, Trini thinks she understands his frustration now, can empathize a little more with his anger and bitterness towards her team. She can only imagine what he must have felt, waking from 65 million years of slumber, only to realize his body is gone, his friends were dead, and he was now tasked with the responsibility of training their  _replacements_.

She wonders if he's even had the proper time to come to terms with his situation, to  _mourn_  the loss of his own Rangers, and for the first time since she met him, Trini actually feels the stirring of  _pity_ for him.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs, and for all intents and purposes, she means it. Because she knows – perhaps more than she'd ever like to admit – what it means to be left behind, how it feels to be the last one standing. It's an ache that cannot be soothed, a hole that will never fill, and as she thinks about her own team – her friends that aren't quite yet friends – she wonders how she'd survive if she were to ever lose them.

"It was a long time ago," he replies, quietly.

"But has it been long enough?" she asks, and the way Zordon stares tells Trini everything she needs to know.

 

* * *

 

Trini rouses from slumber with a low groan, clinging stubbornly to the fleeting darkness of sleep. She doesn't need to open her eyes to know that it's early, can tell by the lack of light pouring through her unkempt window that the sun is yet to rise, and if the sun hasn't gotten up, why should she? Throwing an arm over her face, she attempts to smother herself back to sleep, but it's a lesson in futility as she slowly wakes instead.

Begrudgingly, Trini throws off the covers and rolls out of bed, careful not to stomp her feet lest she wake the rest of her household. Trudging towards her desk, she slips into the chair and checks her phone for the time, sighing at the ungodly hour. Rubbing tiredly at her eyes, she sits back, wondering why she was up. Trini's an early riser – always has been – but this was early even for her, and after all the training she'd done the day before, and the late hour that she'd returned, she had hoped to get more than a few measly hours of rest before heading off to do it all again.

She eyes her bed longingly, about to give sleep yet another shot, when the sound of a door creaking catches her ear, senses heightened thanks to her powers. She can tell by the footsteps, slow and heavy, that her father is awake and headed for the stairs, a frown tugging at her lips as she ponders his early start. It only takes a moment for her to catch on, realizing that he's most likely heading out for his morning PT, and before she can comprehend her own actions, she's changing into shorts and a t-shirt, tossing on a light jacket to combat the early morning chill.

"Can I come with you?"

Trini catches him just as he finishes his coffee, his brows raised at her from over the mug as he takes his last sip. He regards her silently, a curious – if not mildly baffled – look in his eye, as if he's not entirely certain she's really there. There's a twinge in her chest, disappointment mixed with regret, as she remembers a time not too long ago when she would join him several times a week, it being the only time she could ever truly have her father to herself. But between lengthy deployments and the constant moving, their ritual had slowly faded into non-existence, and she'd been too angry and too bitter with it all to try and start things back up again.

For a moment, Trini thinks he might reject her, thinks he might tell her to go back to sleep because she has school in a few hours and she needs her rest. But he doesn't. Instead, he tosses her a banana and a water bottle, instructing her to eat and hydrate before they leave, and she scarfs it down because being a Ranger comes with an  _insane_ metabolism and she knows she'll be starving by the time they reach even a quarter of their run. Of course, her father doesn't know that – only knows that it's half past five, and they're about to go on a six mile run, and he's not about to let his little girl pass out from dehydration or low blood sugar if it can be helped.

"Think you can still keep up?" he asks curiously, once they're outside and warming up.

There's the hint of a challenge behind his tone, and Trini's never been one to back down from a fight,  _especially_ when it comes her physical capabilities. Even  _if_  she didn't have her powers, she's kept in shape well enough on her own; between daily hikes at the mine, death metal cliff yoga, and rounds on the punching bag her mother likes to pretend they don't keep in the basement, she's far from the couch potato that her father implies her to be.

"Guess you'll just have to wait and find out," she retorts, dropping low to tighten her shoelaces. His lips curl, twitching into a miniscule smirk – one that greatly resembles her own – and his eyes shine with a sort of fatherly pride as they set off at a steady pace, Trini meeting him stride for stride despite her much shorter gait.

As they jog along the main avenue, feet pounding the pavement in perfect cadence, Trini lets her mind wander, contemplating the man that runs steadily beside her. Her relationship with her father is complicated, but she supposes all relationships with parents are. He's never been overtly affectionate, brusque and stiff mannered as though he'd never really learnt how to take the uniform off – but the thing is, Trini  _knows_ her father loves her,  _knows_ he cares for her wellbeing and only wants what he thinks is best for her…

He's just never been all that great at showing it.

Maybe it's because he's never home enough, or maybe he just never really got the hang of what it means to be a father, providing all the basic and materialistic necessities – food, clothing, shelter – but lacking heavily when it comes to the emotional support his daughter so direly needs. He'd rather play moderator than actually confront the issues dividing his family, but Trini knows he isn't all to blame; between her mother's nagging and her own stoic indifference, it's all the man can do just to keep the peace. But she'd be lying if she didn't say she wished he'd try just a little bit harder, put in a little more effort to make real conversation, and not just diffuse arguments by insisting she answer whatever it is her mother asks.

Like the way he was before–

"Trini," he calls softly, breaking her from her reverie.

She blinks into awareness, surprised to find them at the football field. When had they arrived? Her strength and endurance had grown exponentially in the days since training began, and thus she felt no fatigue despite the fact that they were already a mile and a half into their run, feeling as though she had only just blinked and they were there.

"Are we stopping?" she asks, as he leads her onto the track.

"Only if you want to," he replies, nodding his head towards the bleachers. "I usually run a few laps up and down the stadium before moving on. You can take a break if you like."

Trini shrugs, hardly fazed. "I can handle it."

Her father eyes her skeptically, looking as though he wants to say something, maybe protest that it's a bit too much for her at this point in time. But thinking better of it, he merely shakes his head and shrugs, suspending his doubt as he jogs up the ramp towards the bleachers and begins his first lap up the stairs. Trini follows suit, keeping pace two steps behind the entire way, breaking a light sweat only after they'd completed four rounds.

"You've been holding out on me," her dad breathes, sheening with exertion as they leave the field and continue on his normal route, headed now towards the coast.

"Or maybe you're just getting old," she quips, bouncing back as he gently shoves her.

"I am in peak physical condition, thank you very much," he huffs, feigning indignance despite the small grin he sends her way.

"Didn't realize the Army had lowered their standards," she murmurs, prepared this time as she ducks his hand and sprints a few yards ahead, biting her cheek to hide her smile. It's rare for her and her father to joke around together, and for a brief period of time, Trini can almost pretend they're just another normal dad and daughter on an early morning run.

They make it to the waterfront just as the sun rises over the mountains in the east, the first light of day cascading over the sharp ridges to dance along the choppy ocean waves. They make their way to the fishing pier, sprinting the last few yards until there's nowhere else for them to go, Trini crowing in triumph as her hand slaps the wooden railing seconds before her father's. He groans loudly with defeat before bending over in exhaustion, hands braced on his knees as his chest heaves, desperate to catch his breath.

"Maybe I am getting a little old," he sighs, clutching his side as he stands back up and hobbles towards a bench to rest.

Trini smirks quietly, leaning against the railing as she bends forward, staring out into the water as she searches for any sign of the abundant sea life that Angel Grove is best known for. It's still a little dark out, but she thinks she can see the silhouette of a small school of fish, their silvery flesh sparkling in contrast to the deep blue of the ocean tide. As loathe as she may be to admit, it's one of the few things she enjoys about living in the small coastal town, where the sea is yet to be overfished and wildlife is more than plenty.

"Are you ready to head back?"

She nods her agreement, having recovered swiftly in the short time of reprieve, and turns to follow her father as they start the run home. She nearly does a double take as she passes  _Jason Scott_  of all people, his blue eyes wide with recognition as he runs in the opposite direction, head swiveling on his neck as he watches her jog by. Stunned by her unexpected appearance, he barely notices the light post until it's too late, careening head first into the pole with a painful  _thunk!_

"Jesus Christ!" her father exclaims, screeching to a halt. "Are you okay, son?"

Jason blinks, cradling his head as he pops back up. "What? Oh, uh… y-yeah, I'm good. I'm good. I'm soooo good, like… you wouldn't believe how good I am…"

Her father frowns at odd response, laying a steadying hand on the younger man's shoulders, holding a finger in front of the bewildered blonde and ordering him to follow it with his eyes. "Look left," he instructs, "Look right. Okay, blink for me. Can you tell me your name?"

"Jason Scott," he replies, face flushed with embarrassment as Trini watches from the background, brows scrunched in a mild look of worry.

"Do you know where you are, Jason?"

"Angel Grove, the fishing pier."

Her father nods. "And today's date?"

"It's the 14th," he murmurs, before shaking his head and correcting, "Wait, sorry. It's the 15th."

"Good, good," he nods again. "Did you hurt anything?"

"Just my pride," Jason mumbles, too low for her father to hear. But Trini picks it up easily enough, snorting as her earlier concern fades into smug amusement, because  _wow,_ she's  _never_ going to let him live this one down.

"Do you need us to call someone to pick you up?"

"No, no! I'm fine, really!" he protests, seemingly mortified at the mere idea. "I live just at the end of the marina. It's not that far, I'll be okay, I promise!"

Her father seems hesitant to let him go unattended, having seen first hand the effects of head trauma from his time on the battlefield, so Trini steps in to save them both the argument. "I know where his house is. I'll walk him home."

Both her father and Jason look at her like she's just grown an extra head, twin looks of confusion on their faces as the two stare at her in disbelief. "Trini," he father begins, curiously, "Do you… do you  _know_ this boy?"

Jason's eyes grow round with panic, shaking his head minutely to indicate that, ' _no! No, you do not know me! Do NOT tell him how we know each other!'_  as if she'd just up and  _tell_  her father they were Power Rangers. (Not like he'd believe her anyway, considering she  _had_  told him in the beginning, and he'd merely palmed his face and continued on with dinner.)

"We go to Angel Grove High together," she deadpans, barely refraining from rolling her eyes as relief washes across Jason's features. "And his sister is in Danny's class."

"Oh, yes. Of course," he says, demeanor shifting as he eyes the younger man warily. "I suppose it'd be okay for you to walk him back, just to be on the safe side. As long as you come  _straight_ home after. You have school, after all…" He trails off quietly, glancing between the two suspiciously, as if he's piecing together the strange event now like it was something they had planned.

Trini sees the look and almost screams, because  _of course_  her father would assume she has some sort of alternative motive for walking Jason home. Because she's a  _teenage girl_ , and he's a  _teenage boy_ , and there can only be  _one_ possible conclusion to that equation, right?

"Oh my god," she huffs beneath her breath, grabbing Jason forcefully by the arm and dragging him away.

"What? Oh, okay. I guess we're going now," he says, stumbling along after her as Trini continues to man-handle him away from her father. "Uh, t-thank you sir for your… help? It was nice meeting y–oww,  _god_ you're strong…"

"... sorry," she grumbles, releasing him. Stuffing her hands into the pocket of her jacket, Trini continues to lead the way, a perplexed Jason following dutifully from behind. He's still not entirely certain what's happening, or if this is just some sort of post-concussion induced hallucination, but if he's learnt anything about his yellow counterpart in the few short days since they met, it's that she's more a girl of action than of words.

As much as he'd love to speak up, there's a small –  _microscopic, really_  – part of him that is just a teeny tiny bit afraid of her, which is why he's grateful when she throws her arms up in frustration a minute later and cries, "Okay! I lied. I have no idea where you live, and I have zero clue where we're going."

"Right, um… we need to, uh… I actually live that  _way_ ," he replies, turning sheepishly to point in the direction they had just come from.

"Of course you do," Trini sighs, slapping a hand to her face. "Well, lead the way."

"You know, I really am okay," he insists, "I didn't even really feel it. Maybe a bit stunned, but hardly hurt."

Trini's brow raises questioningly, "Trying to get rid of me, Scott?"

Jason's face erupts in color. "No!" he defends, "I just–"

"Relax," she cuts in, "I'll leave if you want me to. I just didn't want to listen to you two going back and forth. I don't care either way."

To her surprise, Jason doesn't immediately dismiss her, jerking his head to the side in an open invitation for her to come along. "It's… uhm, it's this way," he says, waiting to see if she'll follow before setting off back down the path they had come.

The silence is awkward and stilted, and Trini doesn't know why she stays. Jason is clearly capable of making it home on his own, but that feeling – the one that led her to him that day in the stadium – is back again, pulling her into his orbit and anchoring her to his side. She doesn't understand what it means, only that it's been occurring more and more frequently as the days pass, this strange tether that tugs her this way and that, beckoning her to the aid and/or company of her fellow Rangers.

Frankly, it's kind of a major inconvenience. But, then again, considering the week she's had, why should she ever expect anything less?

"So…" Jason begins, in some half-baked attempt at conversation, "That was your dad?"

"According to my mother, he is," she remarks.

"Right," he murmurs, scratching nervously at his cheek, "Are you… are you two close? I mean, you were running together, which seems like a nice father-daughter bonding moment… thing."

"No, not really," she answers bluntly, "Maybe we were at one point, if ever, but that was a long time ago."

"Oh… uh, me too," he says, before rushing to add, "I mean, my dad and I are the same way. We used to be pretty tight while I was growing up, but then as I got older and more involved with football, he started to… I dunno. He just kept pushing me to play, started inviting scouts to games. He says it's because he wants me to make something of myself, to grow up to be more than just another fisherman in the family, but..."

"He's hard on you," she concludes.

Jason laughs humorlessly, "That's one way of putting it."

Trini nods empathetically. She knows the feeling well.

"... my dad taught me how to box when I was four," she shares, hands still shoved stubbornly into her pockets as she stares down, kicking a pebble as they walk along. "Even at a young age, I was always picked on for being the runt, and I guess he wanted me to be able to defend myself. My mom absolutely hated it… thought it was inappropriate for a girl to learn how to fight. But I loved it, and my dad saw that, so he fought her on it until she finally agreed."

"He used to do that a lot," she continues, lower lip tucked between her teeth as she chews it thoughtfully, "Stick up for me, I mean. But, uh… when I was eight, my godfather – my uncle Ray – he died… threw himself on top of a grenade to save my dad and the rest their unit, and he's just never really been the same since…"

Jason's eyes are soft and sympathetic, lips pulled thin in a grim smile, "I'm sorry."

Trini shakes her head, wiping away the moisture she hadn't realized was beading at the corner of her own. "There's nothing to be sorry for," she assures, clearing her throat perhaps a little too harshly for it to be true. "People die, others let you down. It happens."

He doesn't know what to say to that, so he doesn't say anything at all, feet shuffling along to keep pace with her shorter legs. Trini glances up as the conversation stalls, the air between them heavy and sinking, and she's overcome by the sudden urge to break the silence before it drowns them completely.

"So… how are your 69ers?" she asks, blurting out the first coherent thought to cross her mind.

Jason's head whips in her direction so fast, she can almost hear his neck crack. "I'm sorry… come again?"

Trini can feel the heat rush to her cheeks. "The… the 69ers?" she tries again, weakly. "That football team you like… the ones from San Francisco?"

"You… you mean the FORTY-niners?" Jason clarifies, his face as horrified as Trini feels.

"Yeah, those are the ones," she replies, attempting to play it cool. "They win any of their games lately?"

"Err, yeah. They're 6-4 right now, so they've been winning most of them so far…"

"Cool," she nods, "That's… cool."

"Yep."

Trini sighs defeatedly, "... we're really bad at this, aren't we?"

"Bad at what?" he asks, confused.

She stares pointedly, "Talking."

"Ah." Jason nods sagely, lips tugging into an amused smile as he laughs quietly, "Yeah, we're actually pretty terrible at it."

Trini cracks a grin of her own. "Terrible might be underselling it."

"It's a bit generous, isn't it?" he chuckles, rubbing sheepishly at the back of his neck. "But, uhm… thanks for trying. I appreciate it."

Trini is about to respond when she's interrupted by the vibrations of her phone, indicating a new text. Offering an apologetic glance, she pulls it from her back pocket and unlocks the screen, snorting at the message Kim had sent asking to meet for coffee before school. Typing back a quick reply, she shoves it into her pocket once more and turns her attention back to the red Ranger.

"Sorry, it was just Kim," she explains, sensing his curiosity.

"Oh. You two seem to get along well," he says, observantly. "Actually… you get along pretty well with everyone. Billy gushes about you constantly, Kimberly's all but declared you two BFFs, and you've known Zack since before all this began. Maybe  _you_ should have been made leader instead." It's said as a joke, but there's an underlying tone of resignation and doubt, like Jason doesn't fully understand his own role in the group dynamic.

Trini scoffs. "I wouldn't want to be the leader, even  _if_ I was given the opportunity to be. I don't want that type of responsibility. I mean, it's bad enough that we're supposed to save the world… but to be in charge of the team that's meant to do it? Yeah, that's not me."

Apparently, that's the wrong thing to say as Jason's face drops, as if he's suddenly realizing the magnitude of what it means to be the leader. Of course, he'd known what had been asked of him before, but to hear it be put so bluntly? It's a little eye-opening if he's being honest.

"Sorry," she says, grimacing at the disheartened look that crosses his face. "I didn't… mean it like that…"

"No," he shakes his head, "Don't be sorry. It is what it is." He offers a reassuring – if half-hearted – smile, jerking his thumb towards his house as they finally arrive. "Anyway, this is me. Thanks for walking me back."

"Yeah, no problem," she replies, "Maybe put some ice on that head just in case."

Jason nods. "Will do."

The two stare at one another in awkward silence, uncertain of how to proceed. Eventually, Jason takes matters into his own hands, turning on the heel of his shoe to make his way towards the front door. "See you at school," he offers in way of goodbye, throwing his hand up in a parting wave.

Trini doesn't know when she started to care, but her stomach twists into knots at the sight of his retreating figure, and she can't find it within herself to let their conversation just end the way it has. "Jason, wait."

He pauses, hand already on the door.

"I'm… I'm glad it's you," she admits, almost timidly.

His brows pinch in confusion. "What…?"

"I'm glad it's you," Trini repeats, restlessly shifting her weight from leg to leg, "I'm… I'm glad you're our leader. Out of the five of us, you… you make the most sense. I mean, Billy is smart and he'd probably make a great tactician, but… you know how he gets. Zack can't take anything seriously, Kimberly is too impulsive, and… who would take orders from a nobody?"

Jason opens his mouth to protest, but she glares at him not to interrupt.

" _You're_  the one that brought us together that first day in training – no one else. I wasn't lying when I said I came back to piss off my mom, but I also came back because of what you said. I think we all did…

"And I'd follow you," she declares, finally looking up to stare him directly in the eyes, "If this Rita thing is really real, and everything Zordon told us comes to pass… I'd follow you. Into any battle, or into any situation, I'd be the first follow you."

He blinks, stunned by the admission. "... really?"

"If not the first, a very close second."

Jason slowly makes his way back, regarding her with a look of hopeful hesitation. "You really mean that?" he asks, coming to stand once more before her.

Trini nods, not just because she thinks it's the right thing to say, but because she realizes it's true. "Yeah," she says, resolutely, "I really do."

 

* * *

 

"Alex, Danny. Time for bed."

Loud whines and protests fill the Gomez household as the two boys shout their defiance, pleading with their sister for ten more minutes. Trini, accustomed to their pouts and puppy eyes, is undeterred as she flicks off the television and begins to clean up the mess of pillows and blankets they had made.

"No complaining," she growls, smacking Alex playfully on the butt as he drags himself towards the stairs. "You two know the deal. I'll let you watch an hour of TV if mom and dad aren't home, but it's a school night and you still need to go to bed on time."

"You're no fun," Danny grumbles, yelping in surprise as Trini spins around and tackles him onto the couch.

"What did you just say!" she cries, fingers digging mercilessly into his sides as she tickles his stomach. "Take that back, right now!"

"T-Trini, no! Stooooop!" he laughs, thrashing beneath her grasp as he attempts to twist himself out of the way.

"Not until you take it back!" she grins, throwing his shirt up for better access to his belly.

"Alex, help!" he shouts instead, "Help me!"

Trini grunts as her youngest brother throws himself into the fray, bounding back down the stairs two steps at a time before leaping bodily atop her, sandwiching her between the two of them. "Ugh, lay off the sweets, Al. You're starting to get heavy."

"Hey!"

The tickling quickly dissolves into a wrestling match as the three siblings writhe atop the couch in a mess of flailing limbs, the boys attempting to overpower Trini as she struggles to keep them at bay. There's a collective, " _oof!"_  as they inevitably tumble to the floor, Trini rolling onto her back just in time to absorb most of the blow, her brothers landing on top of her in a squirming heap. It doesn't stop them from fighting, the two teaming up to take her down, but she's the oldest for a reason and is more than capable of wrangling them into submission.

"Put me down!" Danny whines, grumbling as Trini stands and throws him over her shoulder in a fireman's carry, one hand clutching his shirt to keep him from falling and the other tucking Alex into her side as she hooks an arm beneath his stomach.

"No fair!" Alex squeaks, as she begins to carry them up the stairs to their rooms. "When did you get so strong?"

"I told you the other day," she grins, throwing a wink in for good measure, "I'm a superhero."

Her brothers stop struggling at that, twin gasps of awe escaping their parted lips as she sets them down onto the landing. "Are you really?" Danny asks, tugging impatiently at her arm.

"Yeah, are you? Can you show us?" Alex begs, taking her other arm and shaking it eagerly.

"Not right now," she replies, pulling her arms free to place her hands on her hips. "It's late and you two need to be in bed."

"Oh, c'mon!"

"You can't say that and then  _not_ show us!"

"Too bad," she shrugs, "I'm the oldest, and that means I'm in charge. So go take your baths and brush your teeth, and I'll be back up to say goodnight in a few minutes."

Danny scowls and stomps off, grumbling beneath his breath as he walks down the hall towards his bedroom. Alex moves to follow, but turns back a quick second later, asking a hurried, "But you'll still play for us, right?"

Trini smiles, fingers scraping through his hair as she ruffles it affectionately, leaning down to press a kiss atop his head. "Of course I will." Turning him around, she pushes him gently towards his own room, patting his back to nudge him forward. "Now go on. I gotta put the leftover pizza in the fridge."

She watches him leave, sticking her tongue at Danny as he reemerges to use the bathroom, and then skips down the stairs to clean up. With her father now gone on a week long training exercise, and her mother working night shifts as a nurse, she's left to take care of her brothers all on her own. But unlike most elder siblings, Trini cherishes the time spent with them alone, away from her father's emotional neglect and the vice-like grip their mother insists on placing around them.

Popping a garlic knot into her mouth, Trini packs up the rest of their leftovers into a glass tupperware, placing it in the fridge for another time. Grabbing the now empty cardboard box, she slips out the back door and navigates her way through the dark towards the side of the house. Tossing it into the bin, she freezes as the sound of rustling catches her ear, muscles tensing as it steadily grows louder. But just as suddenly as it began it stops, leaving Trini to wonder if it was all just a figment of her imagination.

Locking the door behind her, Trini double-checks that all the other windows and doors are secured, leaving the front porch light on to deter any potential thieves. Climbing up the stairs, she ducks into the bathroom to see both her brothers brushing their teeth, Alex standing on his stool to see the mirror clearly.

"Don't forget to rinse with mouthwash," she reminds, staring knowingly at Danny before heading towards the step-ladder that would lead to her own bedroom in the converted attic. Finding her ukelele, a keepsake from the two years they spent living in Hawaii, Trini turns around to head back down, only to come face-to-face with a grinning Kim.

"Hi!" she greets, waving cheerfully.

Trini doesn't think so much as she  _reacts,_  swinging the stringed instrument like a bat at the unsuspecting teen. Thankfully, Kim has good instincts, ducking the blow by a hair's breadth and dodging the subsequent follow ups. It takes a few seconds for Trini to fully recognize her intruder, but when she realizes who exactly has broken into her home, the attack very nearly becomes intentional.

"Kimberly, what the fuck!?" she hisses, glancing at the trap door to make sure her brothers haven't heard.

"Sorry," she apologizes, hands held up in surrender. "I didn't mean to startle you. I, uh… I tried texting, but you didn't reply, so I came over. And I didn't know if your parents were home, so I climbed the gutter and tried knocking on the window, but–"

"Kim," Trini sighs, exasperated, "It's ten o'clock at night. Why are you here?"

The Pink Ranger turns sheepish, arms folded behind her back as she rocks back and forth on her toes. "... no reason." Trini lifts the ukulele threateningly and Kim throws her hands out for her to stop, scrambling backwards and well out of reach. "Okay, okay! I just wanted to see you – that's all!"

"Seriously?" she replies, voice flat and far from impressed. "We practically spent the whole day together. I saw you less than  _four_  hours ago."

"I know, I'm sorry. I didn't really think this all the way through…"

"Do you ever?"

"Nooo… but where's the fun in that?"

Trini rubs tiredly at her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose to stem the massive headache she can feel forming at the front of her skull. Taking a few calming breaths, she takes her ukulele and begins to climb back down towards the second floor.

"Wait, where are you going?" Kim cries, teeth clacking as she immediately clamps her mouth shut when Trini's head pops back into view.

"Keep your voice down," she threatens, eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm going to put my brothers to bed, and then I'm going to come back and we're going to talk about how you breaking into my home is both creepy and very much illegal. Do  _not_  leave this room."

Not a second after she leaves, Trini sticks her head back in a second time to add, "Unless it's to go home, in which case, feel free to leave the same way you came. Otherwise, take a seat and do  _not_  touch anything, or I  _will_  hit you and it  _will_  hurt."

"…"

Kim waits patiently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is pretty emotionally draining for Trini, so I figured here would be a good enough place to stop. This chapter and the next really sort of focuses on her relationship with her family, and it sort of ties into her relationship with the other Rangers. I know there's not a lot in terms of plot progression, but it all sort of builds up to Trini's decisions later at the docks. So it might not feel important, but it kinda is? 
> 
> Anyway, the scene with Jason gave me a lot of trouble, mainly because he and Trini are so awkward together. But it was definitely inspired by the scene in the movie at the football field when Jason asks for a show of hands, and Trini has this sort of knowing smirk as she's the first to raise it. Idk, I just really like that moment, and wanted to add context behind it. Also, ya'll might be wondering where Zack is. Don't worry. I've been "saving" him for a scene next chapter, so get ready for that!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I lied. We have one more chapter before the docks. It's been a month and I just wanted to get something out to you guys. You've all been so amazingly patient and I appreciate that more than you know. This chapter is strictly Trimberly (with a dash of Trini's brothers), so I hope it makes up for the wait.

Trini doesn't sing.

Not because she can't, but because she won't. Because singing is intimate and vulnerable – two things she can't allow herself to be, soft and delicate in all the ways that she is not. It's raw and unguarded, and it makes her  _feel_ things she's spent far too long shoving deep down inside to simply drag back up to the surface and expose to a world that's never been all that kind.

But, her brothers – as they often are – are the one exception. The  _only_  exception. (Though she supposes Billy Cranston can now claim a successful one-time inclusion.)

She leans, shoulder pressed into the doorframe of Alex's room, watching with fond affection as he kneels before the crucifix sat on his desk and quietly murmurs his nightly prayers. And though Trini has long given up on religion, has forsaken the god that's long forsaken her, she still finds herself reciting along beneath her breath, the words ingrained into her mind since early childhood:

" _Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take."_

Amen. ' _So be it.'_ Trini doesn't utter the word, doesn't reaffirm her belief in the prayer she's just spoken – doesn't believe that when she dies she'll go anywhere else but six feet below the ground. But her brother says it, more out of learnt habit than actual understanding, and dutifully presses his fingers to his forehead, down to his chest, and across both shoulders in the sign of the cross. As soon as it's done, he bounces to his feet and rushes to pick a bedtime buddy for the night, all sense of faux reverence dismissed in favor of scouring his pile of toys for the perfect bunkmate.

"Diego," she grins, announcing her presence as Alex finally makes his selection, plucking the stuffed saber-tooth from its place in the heap of toys. "Nice choice. He's always been one of my favorites."

"I know," he says, hopping into bed as Trini pulls back the covers, "That's why I chose him."

"And why is that?" she asks, smoothing the blanket over him as she takes a seat at the edge of his bed.

Alex shrugs half-heartedly, staring down as he fidgets restlessly with the plushie, "Mom says I'm getting too big now to sleep in your bed if I get scared at night. But if I have Diego, then I guess it's  _kind of_  like having you with me…"

Trini takes a moment to simply breathe, inhaling deeply before releasing the growing irritation she feels for their mother in a long-winded exhale. "Alex," she says, firmly, "I  _don't care_  what mom says, and I don't care how big or how old you get. If you get scared for whatever reason, you come to me. End of story."

"But–"

"End. of. story," she cuts off, "You're my brother –  _my baby brother._  I am your sister, and it's my job to protect you, okay? I'm always going to be there for you… you and Danny, both."

"Okay, but… but what about when you leave for college?" he asks, somewhat meekly. "You always talk about wanting to go somewhere far away…"

"That's not for another like two years," she frowns, "Why are you even worrying about that now? Besides, it doesn't matter where or how far I go. Next door, down the street, other side of the country, or anywhere around the globe… it doesn't matter. Distance means nothing between people who love each other. I could be in LA, or New York, or… or freaking Narnia, dude. I'd come back for you guys in an instant. If you need me, I'll be there. That's literally all there is to it."

Alex holds out his fist, pinky extended, "You promise…?"

Trini grins, hooking her own pinky around his, "Pinky promise with a cherry on top."

"Cross your heart…?" he adds, voice hesitant but optimistic.

"... hope to die, stick a needle in my eye," she nods, finger tracing an 'x' across the left side of her chest.

Alex beams as he falls forward into her arms, squeezing her with all the strength he can muster, "You don't have to die, I believe you. I was just making sure."

Rolling her eyes, Trini places her hand atop his head, tilting it back just enough for their gazes to meet, "Good, cuz I don't really plan on dying any time soon."

Ruffling his hair, she lets him sit back before reaching for her ukulele, playing a few testing strums as they wait for Danny. Not a minute later, the older boy makes his way into Alex's room, padding his way towards the bed with an eager bounce.

"Alright, guys," she starts, scooting towards the foot of the bed, making space for Danny to sit with Alex, "What'll it be? Something fast? Something slow?"

"Mmm… something Disney," Danny suggests, sharing a look with his brother, who nods his agreement, "Yeah, definitely Disney!"

A small laugh escapes her, eyes narrowed in thought as she contemplates their request. "Hmm, alright," she grins, licking her lips in preparation. "How 'bout something classic… the Little Mermaid sound good to you guys?"

"Yeah!" Alex shouts, Danny adding his own consent with a fervent nod. "Sing Little Mermaid!"

"Okay, okay," she says, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "Little Mermaid it is." Cradling the ukulele high on her chest, Trini clears her throat, fingers on the starting chords as she mouths a silent countdown, "One… two… three…"

" _There you see her, sitting there across the way. She don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her…."_  Trini's eyes flicker towards her brothers, grinning as they hum along, " _And you don't know why, but you're dying to try. You wanna… kiss the girl…"_

Her fingers dance with practiced ease from chord to chord, hand strumming a steady rhythm as her head gently bobs in time with the song. Danny's foot taps against the mattress, up and down in rapid cadence, and Alex wiggles shamelessly beneath his blanket, hands up as he dances along.

" _Yes, you want her. Look at her, you know you do. It's possible she wants you too, there's one way to aaaask her. It don't take a word, not a single word. Go on and… kiss the girl…"_

"Kiss the girl!" her brothers chant.

Trini's lips twitch with a smirk, sliding off the bed as she continues to play, hips swaying as she joins Danny in his dancing. " _Sha la la la la la, my oh my! Looks like the boy's too shy! Ain't gonna… kiss the girl."_

She spins around, twirling with an exaggerated flair, and very nearly dies right there on the spot when she catches sight of an awestruck Kimberly sitting directly outside her brother's open window. Trini feels the  _exact_  moment her soul transcends her body, fleeing its mortal form in abject horror, mortified to the very core at having been caught in what is decidedly the least badass moment of her entire existence.

But she swallows her growing panic for the sake of her brothers, never once missing a beat as she continues the song, turning her back to the window as she blocks Kim from view. " _Sha la la la la la, ain't that sad? Ain't it a shame, too bad! You're gonna miss the girl. Go on and… kiss the girl…"_

The boys chime in once more, "Kiss the girl!"

She doesn't speed through the song so much as she power plays through it, flying through the remainder of the song as quickly as she can without causing suspicion, " _Now's your moment, floating in a blue lagoon. Boy, you better do it soon. No time will be better."_

Trini glares briefly over her shoulder, silently willing Kimberly to self-combust, utilizing her non-existent telepathic powers to set her ablaze. She fails – spectacularly, of course – and turns back around to play to her brothers, both boys blissfully unaware of the strange girl camped outside on their roof. " _She don't say a word, and she won't say a word, until you… kiss the girl."_

Spotting one of Alex's soccer balls, she dances her way towards it, careful to keep the boys' eyes on her. Rolling it onto her foot, she takes aim, still singing as she awaits her chance.

" _Sha la la la la la, don't be scared, you got the mood prepared! Go on and–"_  Her brothers turn, serenading the other, and Trini takes the opportunity to strike, punt kicking the ball directly through the open window and straight into the unsuspecting Kim. There's an indignant yelp as her face connects with the speeding projectile, Trini's lips twisting into a self-satisfied grin as she drops out of sight, "– _kiss the girl."_

She can hear Kim's grumbling from somewhere down in the bushes, whining and petulant as it is, and knows she's hurt nothing more than the Pink Ranger's ego. Briefly, Trini wonders if she'll simply give in and leave, but something tells her that won't be the case. As presumptuous as that may make her seem, if there's one thing she's learnt about the other girl, it's that she's stubborn to a fault and as unrelenting as a heatwave in June.

In other words: she doesn't know when to quit.

Trini croons the remainder of the song, Kim momentarily dismissed from her mind as she returns her full attention towards her two brothers, swaying in rhythm to the tune. By the time it comes to an end, Danny is air-playing along and Alex has danced his way out of the sheets. They both clap uproariously as she plays the final chord, showering her with praise and pleading requests for more.

"Hakuna Matata next!" Alex shouts.

"No, Over the Rainbow!" Danny argues, shooting the younger boy an annoyed glare.

"What? No fair! You picked the last song. It's my turn now!"

"I didn't  _pick_  the song! I just said to sing something Disney. Besides, you agreed, so–"

"Okay, okay! Enough!" Trini barks, breaking up the fight. "It's nearly 10:30 –  _half an hour_  after your bedtime. There's always tomorrow night, alright? But it's late and you two should already be asleep, or else you're going to be drowsy in the morning, and then mom's gonna  _know_  I let you two stay up. And we don't want that… right?"

"Right…" they murmur, heads shaking.

"Okay, good," she nods, relieved to gain their agreement with little prompt. "So, here's the plan. You two will go to bed now, and then tomorrow when you wake up, you can have a  _civil_  debate over which song to play, and I will play it for you tomorrow night. Deal?"

"Deal," they agree, albeit begrudgingly if their tone is anything to go by.

"Alright, lights out," Trini commands, arms crossed in a manner that leaves no room for further arguments. She tucks Alex into bed once again, smoothing out the blankets he had twisted and crumpled, pressing the stuffed Diego toy against his neck with a playful roar before smacking a kiss atop his head. She ducks into Danny's room next, ruffling his hair as he gives her a sleepy, one-armed hug, and flips on the ceiling fan before she leaves because she knows he likes to sleep cool.

Double-checking that the pikachu night light is plugged into its rightful place in the hallway outlet, Trini flicks off the overheads and climbs up the step-ladder, bracing to face the music that is Kimberly Ann Hart. She finds her exactly as she expects to, fiddling with the random knick knacks on her desk despite Trini's explicit order not to.

"I told you not to touch anything," she states, startling the older girl as she gently presses a hand to one of her mini cacti, evoking a sharp gasp of pain as Kim accidentally pricks her thumb.

"Ow! First the soccer ball, and now this?" she pouts, sticking her injured finger into her mouth, very much resembling the baby she currently is.

"I  _also_  told you not to leave this room," Trini shoots back, setting her ukulele aside. Digging through a drawer, she unearths a small box of bandages and tosses one to Kim. Folding her arms across her chest, she leans back against the door to her closet and waits for the other girl to place it on, finger tapping against her bicep as she waits not-so-patiently for Kim to finish wrapping her wound.

"So…" she begins, prompting Kim to respond.

"Sooo…" Kimberly replies, hands tucked behind her as she reverts back to her childish nervousness.

"Why are you here?" Trini asks, just shy of irritated and hardly amused.

"I told you," she mumbles, "I wanted to see you."

"At ten o'clock at night?"

"Well, technically, now it's more like ten thir–"

Trini glares, "Kim."

"Right!" she grins, laughing anxiously. "Sorry, it's not about the actual time. It's about the lateness of the hour, and it's a very late hour for a school night, and we  _did_ spend the majority of our day already together. And you're right, I don't always think things thr–"

"Do you know how to talk in anything  _other_ than long-winded speeches?" Trini interjects, her already miniscule patience wearing dangerously thin.

Kim falters at the interruption, mouth opening and closing as she struggles to find something to say. Eventually, she forgoes the endeavor completely and points to a previously unnoticed doggy bag, merely claiming, "I brought donut holes."

Trini's eyes narrow, lips set firmly in a scowl. "You should have led with that."

Kim sighs in relief.

"Meet me on the roof," she instructs, nodding her head upwards. "My brothers are sleeping by now and I don't want you getting too loud. I'll be up in a minute."

"Oh, uh… yeah, okay!" she reaches for the donuts, "I'll just… bring these with me."

"How very helpful," Trini deadpans, watching Kim climb up and out the window before turning towards her step-ladder and heading downstairs into the main portion of the house. Navigating her way through the dark, she enters the kitchen and starts the Keurig, snatching two cups from the cabinet as she waits for it to warm up.

"You made coffee?" Kim asks, as she leaps onto the roof a few minutes later.

"Yeah, well, I get the feeling you're going to be here awhile," she shrugs, handing her one of the cups as she settles into place beside her, leaning against the A/C unit for a backrest. "Cream, blasphemous amounts of sugar, and diabetes for life… just the way you like it. Sorry, we're fresh out of insulin shots."

"Ha-ha," Kim feigns, accepting the beverage as it's handed to her. "Very fun–– _is this a sippy cup!?"_

Trini stares blankly as she takes a sip from her own cup – a ceramic,  _adult appropriate_  mug – and replies, "Yep."

"Why do you get a normal one and I get…?" she waves her hand dispassionately towards the cup.

"Because I don't trust you not to spill," Trini answers, matter-of-factly.

"... that's fair." Unfurling the now grease-stained paper bag, Kim offers it to her in a sign of peace. "Donut hole?"

"Thanks." Popping one into her mouth, Trini leans further back, angling her head towards the night sky above. For a time, neither girl speaks, sitting in silence and the comfort of one another's presence. It's not easy – it never is – but she thinks they're getting there, thinks that the more time she spends with Kim, the less time she spends convincing herself that she doesn't want this. Despite her numerous protests, Trini doesn't actually mind Kim sneaking over to her house late at night, though she  _does_  wish the girl had just a tad more tact…

Sipping her drink, she lets her head tilt towards Kim. "So why are you actually––what are you doing…?"

Kim grins around a mouthful of donuts, cheeks puffed and stuffed to the brim. "I wun ta shee haw mammy I ken fit en mah mooof…"

Trini cringes at the sight.  _Gross._

"Why don't you try saying that again?" she asks, "In English this time, please."

It takes an inordinate amount of time for Kim to chew through the mountain of sugar and fried dough, so long in fact that Trini's jaw starts to ache just from watching. Eventually, she manages to swallow the lump of now macerated pastry, passing it down her esophagus with an audible gulp. She washes it down with a gulp from her sippy cup, releasing a satisfied sigh as the still warm coffee rinses away any residual bits.

"Sorry," she laughs, wiping her mouth against the back of her hand. "I just wanted to see how many donuts I could fit in my mouth…"

Trini's brows furrow with confusion. "Why?"

"I…" Kim pauses, "I don't know. It just sort of crossed my mind, so… I did it?"

"You have no self-control, do you?"

"No, not really," she shrugs, "Can't say that I do. I mean, I wouldn't necessarily consider it my greatest trait in any case."

"So, is that why you're really here?" Trini asks, "You thought to yourself, ' _hey, y'know what'd be fun? To run across town and break into Trini's home like some creepy hobo. Yeah, that'll be good!'_ "

Kim frowns, eyes shifting. "Maybe not in those exact words…"

"Then why are you here?" she asks, for what feels like the millionth time that night. "Honestly, you owe me at least that."

The other girl doesn't respond, at least not in any way that's verbal. She simply sighs, drawing her knees in towards her chest, hands cradling her coffee for warmth. She stares off into the vastness of night, eyes searching the distance for something that can't be seen. And though Kim is facing away, Trini can imagine the way her lips draw thin with a frown, can visualize the pensive gaze that adorns her features.

A minute passes.

Then two.

"You have an amazing voice," she says, eventually. "And your brothers… they're beautiful. I only caught a glimpse, really, but that's all it takes to see clearly how much they adore you, and how much you adore them. I… I've never had that – never experienced what it's like to share that sibling bond…

"I'm an only child," she goes on, "My parents wanted more kids, but they suffered two miscarriages and delivered one stillborn before I came around, and mine was a complicated birth. After me, it was sort of game over for them, and I don't think they ever really got over it."

Kim pauses, taking a moment to sip her drink and gather her thoughts. "I think they tried to overcompensate for the fact that they couldn't have any more children by focusing on the one child they  _did_  have. Growing up, I never had to ask for anything twice. I wanted new shoes? I got five different pairs. Gymnastics class? They signed me up the very next day. They gave me everything and anything I could ever ask for…"

"...but?" Trini supplies, encouraging her to continue as she lapses once more into silence.

"But they're busy," Kim replies, "Like, all the time. I've lived in Angel Grove my whole life. It… it's  _home_ for me, as much as I hate to admit that. But for my parents, it's always felt more like a headquarters – a place for them to come back to, to gather their bearings and to prepare themselves for the next big meeting or conference.

"I get left behind a lot. And sometimes, when I'm alone, when I have no one but myself to fill the silence, I tend to act impulsively. I just do whatever the hell comes to mind, because who's there to stop me?"

"No one," Trini answers, despite knowing it's meant to be rhetorical.

"Exactly," Kim nods, solemnly. "No one."

Trini stares down, fidgeting with the cup in her hand just so her fingers have something to do. She had never really thought about how lucky she is to have her brothers, about how different her life might have been had they never been born. She loves them, she adores them, she would do anything for them. But even then, she supposes, it's easy to take for granted what you've always had.

She turns and looks at Kim, feeling as though she finally sees her for who she really is; realizes that there's more than one way to be lonely, that maybe being left behind is just as terrible as being the one to leave.

"... look up."

Kim eyes her curiously. "What?"

Trini laughs, "Just do it."

"Okay, fine. I'm looking up," she says, craning her neck as she does as she's told. "What now?"

"I said to look!"

"I  _am!"_ Kim protests, baffled by the vagueness of her words.

"No," Trini argues, "You're not. I mean, yeah… you're looking. But you're not seeing."

"God, you're as bad as Zordon!" she whines, throwing her hand up in exasperation.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," Trini growls, eyes narrowed accusingly.

"Fine, fine. But seriously, what am I looking for?"

"What do you know about the North Star?" she asks, downing the rest of her coffee and setting the now empty mug atop the A/C box.

"It's the brightest star in the sky," Kimberly answers, though she doesn't sound certain. "And, uh… it points north?"

"If I asked you to find it, could you?

"Is that rhetorical, or–?" Trini nods her head up, and Kim takes that for her answer. "Oh, okay. It's, uhm… it's that one," she says, pointing upwards. "Or, wait… no, actually, I think it's that one?"

Trini follows her gaze, lips tugging into an amused grin as she places a hand atop Kim's head and turns it slightly, redirecting her line of sight. "Close, but no dice," she chuckles, taking the other girl's hand and guiding it towards the correct celestial sphere. "That's the North Star, or Polaris, if you want to get technical."

"I've heard that before," Kim replies, "I mean, I don't know the reason behind it, but I suppose you're going to tell me?"

"Only if you want me to."

Kim smiles, "Please."

Trini scoots several feet to the side, clearing the A/C so that she can lay flat against the angle of the roof. She waits for Kim to follow. "The earth spins on an axis," she explains, "And the northern axis points almost directly at the North Star. That means when you're facing its direction, you're pointing true north – give or take a degree – towards the North Pole."

"Ah," she nods, "So, Polaris…  _pole_. I get it."

"Pretty easy, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Kim could concedes, "But how do you find it?"

"Earlier, you said it was the brightest star in the night sky. The truth is, it really isn't all that bright as far as stars go, so unless you know exactly what you're looking for, it's not hard to miss.

"The North Star," she goes on, "is the brightest star of the Little Dipper, located at the end of its handle. But the Little Dipper is sometimes hard to find, so your best bet is to find the Big Dipper first and go from there."

"This… seems complicated," Kim murmurs, shyly.

Trini feels the heat rush to her cheeks, embarrassed that, in her desire to make some sort of point, she was taking this all a tad too far. "Sorry," she sighs, "I… I was going somewhere with this, but now that I actually  _hear_ what I'm saying, I guess I'm making it more complicated than it needs to be…"

"No!" Kim is quick to assure, afraid she'll close herself off. "No, I promise, it's not a bad thing. I just… I've never really paid all that much attention to the stars before. I mean, I look up and they're there. They're pretty, no doubt, but just…  _there_. Y'know? I never really tried to see them for anything more than what they are…"

"No, I get it," Trini replies, with a smile that's half-amused and half-resigned. "As silly as it sounds, I guess I've always felt some sort of kinship with them for that exact reason. It's pretty much the same way people have always looked at me."

"Trini…"

"Anyway!" she cuts in, turning once more to the sky, afraid to see the pity she knows is shining in Kim's eyes. "The Big Dipper is made up of seven stars, three that make the handle and four to make the bowl. Once you locate it, find the two stars that make the outer portion of the bowl and trace a line towards the Little Dipper, and there you'll find the star."

Kim doesn't look up, choosing instead to stare at her fellow Ranger, and Trini does her best to pretend that she doesn't notice. Eventually, she gives in and returns her sight towards the sky, attempting to navigate the sea of stars with little success.

Huffing, she crosses her arms and pouts, "I don't see anything."

Shifting closer, Trini points towards a collection of stars halfway up the horizon, "There. Do you see it now?"

Kim squints, following her finger as Trini traces a shape in the sky. "One, two, three, four, five, six… seven!" she counts, laughing with excitement as she finally sees it. "It really does look like a dipper, or like… a ladle, with the long handle and bucket-thingy."

Trini snorts, shaking her head. "Right, now find the two stars that make the outer portion of the 'bucket-thingy' and trace a line through them, from the bottom to the top and then keep going until you hit the handle of the Little Dipper."

"And the last star of the Little Dipper's handle is the North Star?" Kim confirms, drawing her finger through the sky. "Oh my god, I see it! At least, I think I do? It looks just like the Big Dipper, but smaller, and like… upside down? Right?"

The younger girl laughs, absorbing some of the joy that seems to roll off Kim in waves. "Yeah, you got it," she nods, a hint of pride in her voice.

"Wow, that's so cool!" she exclaims, all but radiating excitement as she once again seeks the Big Dipper – this time unassisted – and draws a line once more towards the star. "I mean, it's crazy! It's literally like…  _right there_. How did I never notice it before?"

"It's a different time," Trini shrugs, "We have maps, and satellite, and GPS. We have no reason to look up and see what's right in front of us. But for thousands of years, people looked to the stars to guide their way, to offer direction in even the darkest of nights. And I… I guess that's what I really wanted to show you; to show you that even when times are tough, when you feel alone and like you've lost your way… all you have to do is look up and it's there.

"You… you don't always have to go through life with reckless abandon. Not saying that that's what you're doing, but it's okay to like… take a moment to figure out where you are and where you're going." Trini shifts anxiously, afraid she's said too much, licking her lips in nervous habit. "I mean, it's just a suggestion. I do it sometimes, or I guess all the time really, but… it helps–"

She barely has any time to brace herself as Kim rolls over, throwing herself atop Trini with such enthusiasm the wind rushes from her lungs in a sharp  _'oof!'_  She's forced to dig her heels into the roof to keep them both from falling, arms wrapped protectively around Kim as the other girl clings to her in tight embrace.

"You're amazing," she breathes, lips pressing to her cheek, "I hope you know that."

Trini doesn't respond, simply lays there with Kimberly in her arms – tense and uncertain, awkward but not unwelcome – and tries not to think about the way her cheek tingles where Kim's lips linger; tries not to look up and think about how she can see the North Star peering directly over her shoulder; tries not to think about what all this means.

Trini tries not to think.

 

 

But she tries and she fails, and it's all she thinks about until long after the stars have faded and the sun rises above the horizon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For real this time, Zack is going to be in the next chapter. I'm thinking it'll be the big Zack/Trini scene, the bonfire, and maybe Rita's attack, so consider this the last of the fluffy chapters. I'm sorry, but we're starting to head into the angst now. There's no turning back!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading, and I'd really love to hear from you all!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied, again. I'm sorry! This is me digging my heels into the dirt and dragging my feet on getting to the docks. I just... need more time to prepare. Plus, I felt like this chapter should belong to Zack, since we haven't seen him in anything significant since chapter 2. So... angst before the angst? But a little fluffy too!

"Why?"

Trini strides into the control center, ragged and unkempt. Alpha startles at her entrance, sensors whirring to life as he automatically detects a Ranger aboard the ship. He's quick to approach, a curious tilt to his odd-shaped head, but she brushes past him dismissively, hardly sparing him a glance as she marches towards Zordon's wall. Her steps are determined and concise, even as her boots squelch wetly along the metal walkway, trailing water that pools and converges into puddles that mark her path.

"Why?" she asks again, hand clenched around her beanie, now nothing more than a sopping yellow rag. Her brows are pinched with agitation, eyes narrow and hard like flint. "Why?" she repeats, louder –  _harsher_.

Zordon emerges, stern and stoic as ever. "Why what?" he asks, callously.

"Why me?" she asks, ashamed at the way her voice catches – a break in pitch that beguiles her stony demeanor. "Why did you choose me?"

He sighs, a tenor of annoyance in his voice, "I didn't  _choose_  you. I didn't choose  _any_  of you. As I have explained to you in the past, the Power Coin chooses its Ranger. Neither I, nor anyone else, can influence its decision."

"Okay, then," she says, digging the Yellow Coin from her pocket, "Then why did  _it_  choose me?"

"I have asked myself that question regarding you and your teammates many times," he answers, and Trini clenches her fist so hard that she draws blood, a tinge of crimson staining into the fabric of her beanie.

"Master Zordon," Alpha steps in, glancing worriedly between the two, "My sensors indicate she is very upset. Her stress levels alone are through the roof. Please, sir. She… she's only a child…"

He sighs, this time in concession. "Very well, Alpha-5. I will attempt to be more gentle with my explanations, though you are wrong in saying that she is only a child. An adolescent Trini may be, but she carries within her the power and the legacy of the Yellow Ranger. Coddling her will do her no good if she is to ever live up to the expectations of her duty."

Her chest tightens, an invisible coil wrapping it's cold grip around the fragile vessel of her heart.  _Expectations._  She hates that word; hates what it represents; hates that it means she's got  _yet another_  person to disappoint – even if that 'person' comes in the form of an omniscient alien stuck behind a wall. Slowly, inexorably, the coil winds itself further around her heart, constricting painfully until every beat is but a fluttering tremor.

"I don't  _need_ you to be gentle," she growls, all sharp wit and hard edges, in some feeble attempt to stay in control. "I don't  _need_  to be coddled. All I  _need_  is for you to answer the damn question! Why me!?"

Zordon grunts, his contempt evident. "I don't  _know_ why!" he replies, gruffly. "No one does. The origins of the Power Rangers has always remained inconclusive, but the mission has always been the same: to protect all life in the universe, and to defend the Zeo Crystal from any and all who to wish to use its power for evil. As far as research goes, it was concluded that the Coins are sentient – at least in the sense that they seek only those that are capable of serving their purpose. As for why someone receives a designated color, it's believed they best represent a certain characteristic that suits their specific role amongst the team."

Trini's eyes lower, working her jaw tensely as she contemplates his words. "But why  _me?"_  she asks, desperate and seeking. "There are seven and a half billion people on this planet, and yet it chose  _me._  Out of  _every single person_  on this world, it could have chosen  _anyone_. But it chose  _me!_  Was I really the only one worthy to wield its power?"

"Of course not!" he scoffs, as if the mere idea alone is juvenile and absurd. "At any given moment, there are a handful of people worthy of the Coin. But by destiny or stroke of luck, it fell into your possession. Frankly, if we had more time, it may have sought out a completely different person – perhaps one better equipped to handle the responsibility of being a Ranger. But with Rita's return, the Coins must have sensed the danger to the Zeo Crystal and revealed themselves to you and your team in order to combat the threat of her arrival."

A cold chill washes over her, seeping down her spine all the way to her toes. "So… that's it, huh?" she breathes, a humorless laugh escaping between the gaps of her pained grin, "That's why I was chosen. Not because I'm special, or because I'm any more worthy than the billions of people that call this planet home. I'm not actually worthy…"

Her head drops, hands trembling as she squeezes them into fists, still clinging to the beanie now soaked in red. "I'm not worthy," she repeats, low and gravelly. Trini's head raises, eyes like flint now sparked with the embers of a sorrow filled rage, "I'm just  _convenient."_

If possible, Zordon shrugs. "It is well within the realm of possibilities, and in all likelihood… yes."

Anger swells in her gut, and Trini starts to feel sick. Not in the ' _I just drank spoilt milk'_  sort of way, but the type of sickness that festers and boils in one's belly; thick and viscous, it seeps into every pore, toxic like sludge. "Right," she nods, "Of course.  _Of course_  that's all this ever was!"

"Master Trini," Alpha implores, but she shoots him a scathing glare.

"I don't want to hear it," she seethes, flinging her now useless beanie into a random corner as she turns and storms away. "Just meet me in the Pit."

The android sighs, climbing over a mess of panels and piping to reach the rejected headwear. Alpha cradles the beanie, a wiry hand smoothing over the blood stained print. "Forgive me, Master Zordon," he murmurs, "but that was cruel. Even for you…"

Zordon ' _tsks!'_  scornfully. "She asked for the truth."

"Yes, but for her sake, sir… you should have lied. I mean, after all  _this,"_  Alpha pauses, letting the silence speak for itself.

…

"... did you learn nothing from what happened with Rita?"

 

* * *

 

Trini grunts as she's tackled to the ground, crushed beneath the unforgiving weight of a training Putty. She takes a moment to orient herself, blinking through the haze of pain. Once. Twice. Her vision slowly returns to focus, her anger with it, and she gouges both thumbs into the pebbles of its eyes. She screams her fury as it roars its pain, bashing her fists to the top of its head.

"Again," she insists, chest heaving as it fades away, defeated.

"Please," Alpha begs, "You've been at this for more than an hour. It's late, and you can barely stand as is. Go home, Master Trini. Please, just go home."

Trini swipes at her split lip, spitting blood into the dirt as she rolls onto her knees and – with tremendous amounts of effort – lifts herself onto her feet. "I'm fine," she argues, elbows up as she murmurs a quiet, "And home is the last place I want to be."

Home…

 _God_ , she can still hear the sound of her mother's voice, tearful and joyous. " _Oh, Gabriel!"_  she had exclaimed, face pressed to the phone, " _A girl! We're having a girl! Oh, finally! Finally!"_

Trini hadn't meant to eavesdrop, coming down to the kitchen only for a quick glass of water and a late night snack, but her mother was still there, packing leftovers to bring along for her shift at work. She had turned right back around, not wanting to be caught sneaking junk food when she  _should_  have been getting ready for bed, but had frozen halfway up the stairs as she overheard her mother's declaration.

" _I received a call from the lab today. The test results finally came in."_

And it's not like she didn't know this was coming. Trini had suspected her mother was pregnant for some time now, taking into account her sudden preference for loose, flowing dresses, and the way her already wild mood swings were even more unpredictable than usual. She thought she was ready, prepared for the day her parents would make the official announcement. But she had been blindsided, t-boned through the intersection of expectation and reality by the revelation of its gender –  _her_  gender.

A girl.

They were having another girl, and the relief in her mother's voice was palpable, as if they didn't already have a perfectly good daughter right in front of them all this time. Trini would never begrudge her soon-to-be sister, unborn and unaware of their mother's bias, but it had hurt to know that she was so replaceable in the eyes of her parents – that if they couldn't change her into the daughter they wanted, they could simply start over with someone new.

At that realization, she had fled her home in a panic, sprinting through the dead of night, tearing her way across a town that had never acknowledged her, and away from a family that never would. She had come to the ship in search of reassurance, only to walk away with further doubts, Zordon's words like coarse salt on a fresh wound. She had hoped, somewhere deep in the place she liked to hide, that being the Yellow Ranger was someone only  _she_ could be, that at least  _this_  was hers and hers alone.

But that was not the case; Trini was just as disposable as a Ranger as she was to her family, and she had been stupid enough to believe otherwise.

But who had she been trying to kid? She had never been anyone's first choice – let alone their  _only_  choice – so why start now?

' _Idiot,'_  she thinks, lips pulled back in sneer, ' _You're an absolute idiot.'_

With renewed vigor, Trini barrels into the fight like a maelstrom, lashing out with all the power and fury of a hurricane. She's a whirlwind of chaos, fueled by anger and high off adrenaline, fists plowing through Putties with thunderous force. She lets the years of pent up anger and resentment flow through her, no longer shoving it to the wayside to rot and decay in some dark, abandoned corner of her being; lets it rise to the surface where it can't be overlooked and ignored.

For a moment, she lets the rage consume her, wallows in the indignity of it all – lets herself be taken completely by the need to inflict as much pain onto others as has been dealt onto her. There's an immediate sense of satisfaction that comes with reducing a horde of Putties into a pile of dust, instant gratification at the way they crumble and fall away, their roars of anguish like an icy balm to the frenzy of fire burning within.

"More Putties," she demands, guttural and fierce.

Heavy droplets of sweat glisten from her brow, rivulets of salty perspiration dripping along the curvature of her face and into her eyes. Trini blinks, eyelashes batting away the moisture, content to pretend the stinging in her eyes is only sweat and not the tears she refuses to let fall.

"Keep them coming," she grits out, "And don't let them stop."

Trini fights, and she fights, and she fights; she fights until her knuckles bleed and her body bruises; breath heavy and labored, shirt damp and clinging with evidence of her exertion. She fights until she has nothing left to give, and then she fights some more, fists swinging with reckless abandon until she's too weak to fight anymore. And then, when she's too exhausted to stand – let alone lift a hand in her defense – she simply gives up, gives in, and takes every hit with a grimace of resignation.

After all, this is her life in a nutshell, just one long beating after the next.

Slowly, the darkness creeps in, every jarring blow beckoning it closer. Trini's vision swims before her eyes, murky and unclear. Her head snaps to the left, a rocky fist cracking across her cheek, but the pain is muted, no longer registering when pain is already all she feels. Instead, she stumbles, tripping weakly over the uneven terrain, falling backwards onto her bottom as the pack of Putties close in.

But she doesn't get back; merely sits there and waits for it to end.

…

But then…

"What are you doing! Are you  _trying_ to get yourself killed!?"

Trini's head raises, confusion clouding her vision as she stares upwards towards the entrance to the Pit; the Putties clear back, turning to face the source of the voice. The light from the ship blinds her, silhouetting the dark figure in an iridescent halo that has her questioning her current stance on the idea of heaven and angels, and believing – if fleetingly – in the power of saving grace.

"Get up!" the voice shouts, loud and demanding to be heard. "Fight back!"

 _'But I'm tired,'_  she thinks, succumbing once more to the all encompassing ache,  _'I don't want to fight anymore…'_

Suddenly, there's a hand on her elbow, and Trini finds herself yanked back onto her feet. Zack doesn't give her the opportunity to ask him what he's doing there, yelping in surprise as he squares her shoulders for her, carefully curling her trembling hands into closed fists. "C'mon, Crazy Girl," he grins gently, bumping his forehead against hers in an affectionate greeting, "Don't give up on me now. We'll finish this one… together."

And Trini tries to resist, tries to hold onto the person this life has forced her to be, but when she looks up and notes the way Zack stares – so genuine, and honest, and pure – she realizes that there's nowhere left for her to hide. Because he  _sees_ her; because he's  _always_ seen her, since that first day she came to the mines and found him staring at her from across the opposite cliff, Zack sees her and he's never once looked away.

"I've got your back, if you've got mine," he promises. "Just stay with me, alright?"

And Trini's walls, which had been duct-taped, and bandaged, and put back together over the course of many years… comes crashing down.

 

* * *

 

"So… you gonna to tell me why you decided to play human punching bag, or should I be concerned that you're taking the name 'Crazy Girl' as a literal challenge?"

Trini grunts but doesn't otherwise respond, seemingly too content in their nest of pillows and old blankets, sharing cheap whiskey and body warmth as they lay atop the train car. Her head is burrowed into the crook of Zack's arm, latched to his side like he's like the last lifeline she's got, one hand curled around a fistful of his shirt. She whines as he nudges her playfully, swatting at the finger he prods gently against her cheek.

"Stop," she mumbles, and Zack can't help the way he grins, eyes alight in adoration at the way Trini grumbles childishly.

"You're so cute right now," he can't help but say, "You're like a little kid, it's so adorable."

Trini tenses at his initial statement, stiffening at what she hopes isn't the typical heteronormative bullshit. But then she relaxes, murmuring a bashful, "Shut up, you're drunk," as she swipes the dirty, beat-up flask from his hand and takes a generous gulp.

"Nah, you're just blurry," he quips, earning him an elbow to the ribs. "Ouch! Why are you being mean to me?"

"I'm not being mean," she replies, quietly, "This is just how I show affection."

"Then I guess that means you must really like me," he shoots back, chuckling as Trini grumbles back incoherently.

For a time they don't speak, soaking in the silence and the warmth of companionship. It's comfortable, peaceful in a way that says more than words ever will, the two passing the flask back and forth until the bottle runs dry. Eventually, when they have nothing left to share, Trini shifts and rolls further onto her side, tugging at Zack's shirt until he too rolls over, allowing her to curl deeper into his torso.

"My mom is pregnant," she finally says, voice muffled against his chest.

"Yeah?" he asks, as neutrally as he can – uncertain if this is news he should be excited for.

"... it's a girl," she goes on, quietly, as if speaking it out loud only makes everything more real. "They're having another girl, and my mother," Trini pauses, her breath catching as she tries to put into words all her fears and her doubts, "... my mother will finally have the daughter she's always wanted, instead of just the daughter she  _had_ …"

"That's not true," Zack almost says, but he catches himself at the last second, releasing only a thoughtful hum in reply. He doesn't know enough about the situation to make that sort of statement, has never once had to worry about being unwanted and unloved, born to a mother who traveled halfway across the world to give her son the chance to live a better life. He doesn't have the answer to Trini's problems, has no reassurance that things with her family will ever get better. So he does only what he knows he can, offering an alternative should things ever get too much for her to endure.

"Kwan."

Trini blinks, "Sorry, what?"

"Kwan," he repeats, lips twitching with a grin. "My mother's surname is Kwan – or at least, it was, before she immigrated here and changed it to something more American. But it's her last name, technically mine too… but it can be yours if you want."

"I don't… I don't know what you mean…"

"My mother has always wanted a daughter," he explains, "A boy and a girl. She'd always hoped for another, but it didn't really work out that way. And I know she'd take you in a heartbeat, no questions asked. My mom… she's awesome like that."

Trini's throat tightens at the offer, swallowing thickly against the emotion she knows is building up within. She had never truly felt wanted by her mom, feeling as though she was never enough; but now Zack offers his own mother freely, happy to share her attention and love with a girl who had done nothing to earn it. She doesn't know what to say.

As if sensing her thoughts, Zack is quick to add on, "You don't have to say anything right now. It's just something to think about, if it helps. I mean… Trini Kwan, that's got a nice ring to it, yeah?"

She laughs despite the lump in her throat, nodding quietly as she buries her face against his chest to hide the tears she's still too shy to let him see. Zack pretends not to notice the dampness seeping through his shirt, ruffling a hand through her hair as he stares upwards at the sky, letting Trini have her moment in peace. It's only when he feels her still against him that he looks down, head tilting to see if she's fallen asleep.

"Trini?" he whispers, questioningly.

"Mmm…?" she mumbles, voice groggy.

"Sorry, just wondering if you were still awake. You can sleep if you want."

"Not sleepy," she protests, despite being very much so. "Just resting my eyes."

Zack chuckles, his chest rumbling with laughter as Trini rubs her face tiredly into his shirt.

"I can feel your heartbeat when you laugh," she murmurs, ear pressed to his heart.

"Oh yeah?" he asks, softly, feeling her body start to grow lax. "What's it feel like?"

"Safe," she admits, breath evening as she finally gives into the exhaustion of the past few hours, "... it feels safe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big bro Zack to the rescue! I love him. Like, I would die for him a thousand times over. But this is one of the things I've been building towards since this fic started, especially because it explains (somewhat) Trini's mindset during the bonfire and everything after. Just to let you know, we've entered the last 24 hours of her life, as tomorrow (in the fic) is when Zack steals a Zord, they all fight, and then the bonfire, which leads to... everything. So brace yourselves!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I decided to split the night of the docks into two chapters for a few of reasons. 1) It's getting way longer than I'm used to writing, and I needed to cut it in half as a mental break between the buildup scenes and the climax. 2) I actually wrote (almost) the whole chapter, but decided I was not at all happy with the way it turned out and ended up scrapping the entire thing and starting over. I am infinitely happier with the second version (this one) than I am the first, but I'm still nitpicking at it, and figured if I post it now, it's out of my hands. It's done. I can't take it back, and I can't rewrite it again, which will allow me to focus the parts that come next. 3) It's stupid, but I have this thing about even numbers, and I guess I wanted the actual dock scene to fall on an even chapter... yeah. 
> 
> Anyway, without further ado, PT. 1 of the night leading to the docks.
> 
> PS. This scene starts directly after chapter 8, but it happens during a deleted scene. You can watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duMJqhHPWvc&t=989s if you need context, and it starts around the 16:05 mark. It's not super important, but just if you got a little lost with the timeline.

" _Let's train."_

The text lights up Trini's phone, distracting her from the plume of fire and smoke that punches through Angel Grove's skyline, her lips pulled thin in a grimace as a fire engine races past. The bus on which she's perched pulls over to let it by, and she takes the opportunity to jump off, tucking into a roll to soften the landing. A grunt escapes her as she pushes herself onto her feet, favoring her left side as she hobbles towards a street bench, still aching from the beating she had taken only a few short hours ago.

" _I'm in,"_  she types, flexing her barely healed hand as she waits for the others to reply.

" _Are you sure that's a good idea?"_  Zack's text appears only moments later, separate from the group chat. " _You should rest."_

Trini knows he's right, knows that the short nap they'd shared atop the train car had done little to help her recover, that her wounds were still too fresh and her heart still too fragile. But the sirens wailing in the distance are a stark reminder that their time is almost up, that eleven days have come and gone, and the wrath of Rita would soon be upon them. She doubts they'll see much pay off from an extra day in the Pit, but at least training gives them a sense of purpose, lets them feel like they're doing  _something_ other than failing to live up to what's expected of them.

" _I'll be okay,"_  she texts back, and she can almost imagine the way he rolls his eyes in response, the "..." at the bottom of her screen indicating he's typing a reply. " _I need this,"_  she adds, before he can finish.

There's a brief lull as he stops typing, and then, " _...fine."_

A second later, Zack answers to the group that he's on his way, followed by a text from Billy asking if one of them can give him a ride, and Kim replying she'll pick him up in ten. Trini has half the mind to ask if she can tag along, but decides she needs a little more time to herself before she's ready to face her teammates – especially after Zordon's earlier revelation. Instead, she treks slowly, one limping step after the next, as she makes her way back towards the mountainside she had only just left.

If Alpha is surprised to see her return so soon he makes no comment, shooting only a furtive, worried glance as she arrives fifteen minutes later than the others. Thankfully, no one mentions her tardiness, and they train through the night and well into the early hours, crawling home just long enough to catch a measly hour or two of sleep before suffering a grueling six-and-a-half hours of "higher education" mixed with teenage mediocrity. By unspoken agreement, they meet back at the mines as soon as school lets out instead of the appointed four o'clock, the burden of duty weighing heavily on all their minds.

In an attempt to lift their poor spirits, Alpha takes them deeper into the underground, navigating through the cracks and crevices until they come upon a cavern separate from the ship. He introduces them to their Zords, and the prospect of one day riding them into battle is just enough motivation to brighten their moods. It gives them the incentive they're so hopelessly searching for, reinvigorating their efforts as they chatter excitedly amongst themselves, following Alpha back towards the Pit for another round of Putties.

And then…

" _Wait, where's Zack?"_

Zack steals a Zord.

Because  _of course_  he does. Because Zack is Zack, Zords are cool, and "self-control" is only a suggestion when it comes to giant, autonomous robots fashioned after prehistoric beasts.

"Alright, my bad. My bad," he laughs, stumbling out of the cockpit and onto shaky legs, tripping over dirt and debris from his literal crash landing through the mountainside. "That's on me right there."

Trini knows they're all frustrated, can sense the charged atmosphere that lingers oppressively, weighing down on their already overburdened shoulders after yet another harrowing day with no success. She knows he's exhausted, knows he's just trying to goof off and let out some steam, but that doesn't stop her from snapping, "What's your problem!?" as her head pounds from where it had hit the ground.

Jason is on his feet in an instant, marching towards the boy with fire in his eyes and fury in his steps. "You could have killed yourself, or us!"

"Back off, boss man," Zack dismisses, shoving past the blonde with a rough hand to the shoulder.

It's the wrong thing to do, the tightly coiled tension finally snapping as Jason shouts an indignant, "HEY!" and lashes out with a searing right hook.

"Hold on, c'mon guys," Billy pleads, his tone colored with disappointment. "Wow!"

"Guys, guys, guys! C'mon!" Trini is quick to rush in, hands grasping at Zack's shoulder, hoping to break up the fight before it can turn into an all out brawl.

"Watch it!" he snarls, his face scrunched in anger as he gruffly knocks her to the side. Ducking a swing, Zack nails Jason across the cheek, the crack of his fist echoing through the caverns. The Red Ranger returns in kind, retaliating with a vicious blow that sends spit flying from his lips. The fight that ensues is hardly a battle of skill, the two boys trading punches with no clear victor in sight, giving and taking hit after hit.

Eventually, it all becomes too much for Billy to handle, the third boy inserting himself between the other two as he desperately shoves them away from each other. "Just stop fighting!" he cries loudly, " _Please!"_

What happens next is something none of them are prepared for, blue armor flickering briefly over his form before solidifying into something concrete and tangible, eliciting gasps of disbelief from the other four.

"That's dope!" Trini laughs proudly, chest warm and breathless with exhilaration. No one on this team had embraced being a Ranger more than Billy, and if anyone deserved the first morph, it was without doubt him.

"What? I got something on my face?" he asks, lifting a curious hand, only to pause as he marvels at the gloved appendage, pulsing with energy from the Grid. "Okay, now  _that's_  cool!" he exclaims, voice ecstatic despite its altered tone.

Zack, in spite of their numerous warnings, reaches out a curious hand and the armor fades away, disappearing beneath Billy's skin as swiftly as it came.

"Where'd it go?" Jason asks, dumbfounded by the sudden disappearance. "Dude, bring it back!"

"Bring it back, dude!" Zack parrots, eying him expectantly.

"Get out!" Zordon demands, his exasperation evident. "Training is over for today. Go home."

Their necks crane upwards and Kimberly scrambles onto higher ground, as if that was somehow enough to place her on even footing with the broody former Ranger. "I'm sorry, he just morphed!" she replies, pointing vigorously towards Billy. "He did it! You saw it, right?"

"Do it again," he answers, tiredly. "All of you.  _Any_  of you."

"Billy." Jason turns towards him, expression hopeful. "How… how'd you do it?"

"Come on, Billy," Zack challenges, "Let's do it."

"Show us what you did," Jason pleads, insistently. "Come on, do it again!"

Billy's eyes squeeze shut, his face tight in concentration. But despite their encouragement, he fails to summon the armor at will, proving his accidental morph to be nothing more than a fluke. He frowns and shakes his head in apology, shoulders lifted with a defeated shrug.

"Okay, we don't know how," Jason relents, staring upwards.

"That's what I thought," Zordon replies. "If you can't morph, then you are  _not_  Rangers. Go home. All of you!"

Trini's stomach sinks, her heart with it, eyes lowering as she recalls their heated conversation from the night before. Perhaps there was more truth to Zordon's words than resentment and thinly veiled contempt. Maybe he  _was_  right. Maybe they  _were_  just convenient, selected only out of sheer necessity; chosen to combat the approaching threat, and to act as placeholders until the  _real_  Rangers could be found. Though she wishes she could deny the validity behind his words, Trini knows it makes sense – at least, in her case it does. She's still convinced the others deserve their place on this team – or at the very least, a proper chance to prove themselves – and she wonders if its  _her_  presence that's holding them back, that she's the weak link keeping them from achieving success.

She mulls over it the entire trek back up the hillside, feet dragging into the dirt as they trudge along, hearts heavy and spirits lower than low. The day is wearing thin by the time they reach the cliff's edge, the sun sinking slowly beneath the vast horizon. Trini leads the pack, followed closely by Kim, then Billy, and finally Zack. Jason had been lost somewhere along the way, no doubt returning to the ship to hash it out with Zordon, Red Ranger to Red Ranger.

Billy groans as he jostles over the uneven terrain, and Kimberly rubs a persistent ache from her neck when Zack slows to a halt and calls out for their attention. "Hey, guys… guys, look. Uh, I'm gonna stay up here tonight. Make a fire. I got some food if you guys wanna stay?"

Trini spares Kim a look, as if to say, " _You in?"_  She's quick to agree regardless of the other girl's answer, less than eager to return home until her mother at least leaves for work. The boys would be fine, spending the night at a teammate's house before traveling to their big game in the regional tournament the following morning, and her father was still out on a training exercise somewhere far off in the desert. In other words, no one would miss her, and after the past 24-hours she's had, Trini finds that she's more than okay with that.

"I'm down," she declares, marching past the other two as she makes her way to Zack's side.

"Alright, cool," he replies softly, offering a gentle grin in greeting as she steps closer, blindly seeking the reassurance of his presence in the same way she had the night before. "Eyy, wait. Hold up, c'mere," he grunts, cradling her head as he inspects the wound to her temple.

"Eww, Zack. No," she whines, grimacing as he licks his thumb and wipes away the blood. "Stop! Don't!" she cries, squirming as he only holds on more tightly, tracing away splotches of red until the gash is but a thin, jagged line. "Ugh, gross…"

The older boy only frowns, ducking his head so they can see eye to eye. "I'm sorry," he murmurs, "for shoving you. And for making you hit your head. I… I wasn't thinking."

"Like hell you weren't," she grumbles, sinking her fist into his gut in belated retaliation.

Zack winces, curling inward at the blow. "I deserve that," he wheezes, though he's hardly hurt. It was clear that Trini had pulled her punch, her hand now resting against his stomach, fingers clenched around the fabric of his shirt, which had quickly become something like her own, personal safety blanket.

"Yeah, well… consider us even," she replies, reaching up to pluck a stubborn clump of rubble from his hair and flicking it at his face.

He laughs and swats her away, and for a brief moment, Trini is content to pretend that nothing else exists outside this pocket of time but her and him. That if she closes her eyes, she can pretend they're still laying atop his train car, sharing whispers of family and a life not their own. But the bubble bursts all too quickly and they're back to reality, not siblings or soulmates – not even really friends; just two rejects on a team of lost causes, with the fate of the world in their trembling hands.

Clearing her throat, she lets him smooth his fingers over her wound in apology a final time, hand tightening around the strap of her bag as she nods towards his junkpile of a retreat. "Want me to get the fire going?"

"Sure," he nods, tossing his own bag onto a rusted lawn chair that had seen far better days. "Tear up whatever you want. I got plenty of pallets." Turning towards the forgotten two, he waves his hand at the train car and all the random junk he'd salvaged, inviting them to make themselves comfortable. "Mi casa, su casa!" he grins, winking playfully as Trini groans.

Kim shuffles forward, tentatively offering her assistance as Billy moves to help Zack set out the food. "Do you need any help?"

"Not really," she shrugs, depositing her backpack onto the only other chair as she sets her sights on the task at hand. From the corner of her eye, she catches the way Kim's face falls, and Trini curses the softness of her own heart as it forces her to pause. "Actually, can you crumple up some of that old newspaper?" she asks, in an effort to help Kim feel useful, "We can use it for kindling."

Her face brightens considerably, and she nods her head as she reaches for the stack of papers, musty with mold and bleached by the sun. "Oh, that's a good idea," she nods, "Right on it!"

Satisfied that she's soothed Kim's ego for the time being, Trini carefully rolls the sleeves of her flannel and finally sets to work, breaking down a few pallets of wood to start and feed the fire. With her augmented strength, it's easy to split them into individual sticks and planks that she then lays out at the bottom of a metal barrel. Kimberly hands her a few crumpled balls of the newspaper, which she stuffs and wedges between the gaps of firewood, snapping her fingers at Zack as she gets ready to light it. He doesn't even look up as he tosses her his lighter and neither does she to catch it, merely throwing out a hand to grasp it as she rearranges the wood and paper into a traditional log cabin.

Kim watches the interaction, eyes flickering intently between the two. Until then, it had never really occurred to her how in-tune Zack and Trini could be, how effortlessly they seemed to be aware of one another's presence. She tries not to let it get to her, wears the lash of jealousy like a mark of pride, refusing to let it control her actions as it so often did in the past. She tells herself she's a better person now, even as the old her lurks closely beneath the surface, vying for attention and a chance to be let loose.

"You good?" Trini asks, eying her strangely.

Kim blinks, broken from her reverie. "What? Oh, yeah… yeah. I'm good. I guess I'm just tired and sort of zoned out for a second."

Her brow lifts suspiciously but she doesn't push it, reaching instead for her bag and pulling out a protein bar from the pocket. "Here," she says, handing it to Kim. "You didn't eat much during lunch. Your blood sugar is probably just low."

She smiles gratefully, accepting the food. "Thanks."

Trini shrugs. "Don't sweat it, princess."

Dusting off her hands, she checks on the fire, prodding it with a stick as she shuffles some of the wood around to let more oxygen through. It flares and crackles brightly, casting long shadows that dance and leap against the surrounding terrain, the intense heat washing over and through her in crashing waves. She's forced to take a step back, her eyes wandering from the blaze before her to the sun setting behind it, bathing the sky in a fiery twilight.

There's something about the sight that sets Trini on edge, like she's teetering on the verge of some great unknown. She's felt this before, in between the quiet moments and the small triumphs of almost-friendship, a whisper of destiny being set into motion. But what had been a gentle pull now becomes an incessant tug, hurling her towards something she can't define, faster and faster still. She's acutely aware of the sound of her own heartbeat, thumping erratically in a broken staccato, her chest tight and body heavy…

"–you okay?"

Trini snaps to attention, the world returning to focus, "Sorry, what?"

"I asked if you were okay," Kim repeats, a flash of worry in her eyes. "You looked like you were about to pass out for a second."

"Oh, no. I…" she trails off, lifting her gaze once more towards the horizon, watching the sun slip away without notice, setting on yet another day she'll never get back. Clearing her throat, she shakes her head and offers Kim a timid smile in reassurance. "I'm fine. It's just been a really long day. I didn't get much sleep, and you're probably not the only one low on sugar."

Kimberly looks far from convinced, but Trini isn't in the mood to make excuses, averting her gaze as she moves instead to raid the pile of food that Zack and Billy had laid out. She grabs a few pieces of beef jerky and an apple just to feel healthy, selecting a warm beer to wash it all down with before taking her seat in front of the fire. The others follow her example, grabbing something to eat and making themselves comfortable, keeping the conversation light while they rest and recover.

Jason emerges from the darkness not long after, his face solemn as he takes a seat on an old box crate, lips strained in a barely repressed grimace.

"What happened back there?" Zack asks.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it," he says, dismissively, before turning to Billy and asking, "Billy… how'd you do it? How'd you morph?"

One by one, their eyes land on the Blue Ranger, Billy shifting restlessly as he's thrust beneath the spotlight. "I don't know," he shrugs, looking confusedly from one to the next.

Jason exhales in a long winded sigh, as if to expel his frustrations in a single breath. "What are you guys thinking about when we're trying to morph?" he asks, looking to each of them expectantly.

Kim hops to her feet, lifting a plank of wood ceremoniously over the fire. "You must shed your masks to wear this armor," she proclaims, in a terrible rendition of Zordon.

"Think only of each other, and the Morphing Grid will open to you," Billy imitates, his voice a whole octave lower as he sternly puffs his chest.

"Yeah," Kim grins, dropping the wood into the fire, "that's better."

Zack lowers his eyes, staring thoughtfully at the ground as he poses a theory. "Well, maybe it's because we don't really know each other. Maybe that's why we can't morph."

"Okay," she laughs, thinking it a joke.

"No, I'm serious!" he insists, launching to his feet. "Let's do this! For real." His eyes shine merrily in the light of the fire, a playful grin to his lips as he proudly introduces himself. "I'm Zack, and I…" he pauses briefly for dramatic effect, "am a Power Ranger!"

It's like something straight out of an AA meeting, and Trini laughs along with the rest as they all chorus a, "Hi, Zack!" in return.

"Truth!" he exclaims, "I live in the Melody Mobile Home Park. It's just me and my mom. And my mom?" Zack smiles, fists raised towards the heavens, as if daring the universe to defy him when he shouts, "MY MOM IS THE BEST!"

Trini's lips twitch into a grin as she thinks of the mother he loves so much, touched by his devotion to this woman she's never met but already respects. But then Zack exhales, and it's heavy with the weight of something unspoken, and she marvels at how even a single breath can carry so much on so little.

"But my mom…" he goes on, voice cracking as he slumps back down into his chair, like saying this out loud is too much for him to physically bear, "she's sick. I do what I can, but… but I'm scared. Sometimes, I get too scared to stay there at night, 'cause… 'cause I'm afraid she can't make it. And if she goes…  _when_  she goes," he corrects, "I got nobody else."

Trini's mind flashes back to the night they blew up the mountain, remembers the way he'd taken her into his own home and cared for her wound. He had been so gentle, uncharacteristically quiet and soft, tender in a way she'd never imagined anyone as flamboyant as Zack could be. She hadn't thought much of it then, too focused on her own pain, but the trove of medical equipment and pill bottles suddenly begin to make sense, and she wonders just how long he's been hiding his hurt.

"Look," he laughs, though it's far from humorous, "I think being with you guys is good for me…"

Billy pauses mid-chew as Zack goes quiet, lowering the candy bar he'd been biting into. "Let's do that!" he says, resolutely. "Let's tell our secrets! It… it'll help us."

Trini watches as he stands, a small, proud smile on her face at the way he steps up to follow Zack's lead. "Okay, I got a secret," he says, "I like country music."

She chuckles, feigning disbelief as she gasps, "What?" Billy turns and smiles to her, and she smiles back knowingly, thinking back with fond affection on that quiet Sunday afternoon she'd spent in his kitchen, bellowing 'Achy Breaky Heart' like it was the only song they'd ever known.

"No, matter of fact… I  _love_  country music," he declares, pointedly. "And… and I don't miss my dad as much." The playful atmosphere quickly dies down, their heads lowered in painful remembrance. You didn't need to live in Angel Grove at the time to know of the mine collapse that had killed two dozen men and injured a handful more, the corporate disaster that led to their deaths forever a marr on the history of their small town.

"I mean, coming to mine with him was all I had," he admits, and Trini hates the world just a little bit more, resents that someone so pure-hearted and kind could be ostracized for being even the least bit different. "But… coming to the mine with you guys is just as good," he adds, nodding his head, "Yeah."

"Bigger secret," Jason interjects, pointing an accusing finger at the boy, "is why were you in detention?"

"I blew up my lunch box!" he exclaims, as if that was a perfectly reasonable explanation.

"What!?"

"What?" he asks back, incredulously. "It was an  _accident,_  okay?"

"Of course!" Trini scoffs, eyes rolling in playful mockery. Suddenly, his penchant for all things explosive start to make a little more sense.

"My lunchbox was in my locker! Boom goes the lunchbox, in detention goes Billy!" he defends, retaking his seat. In an attempt to deflect further attention, he points towards their Pink Ranger and says, "But let's not forget that Kimberly Hart was also in detention too, so…"

Kim freezes, caught unaware as she throws more wood into the fire, eyes darting in a wild panic before settling briefly on the only other girl in their group. Trini's eyes narrow silently in question, as if daring her to speak up and finally acknowledge her mistakes. Though they had never officially broached the subject, she was almost certain Kim knew she was aware of her past transgressions, and wondered if she would let the boys in on her indiscretion.

Instead, she shakes her head, choosing to opt out rather than open up. "Not tonight," she says, eyes watery even in the muted lighting. "Skip me," she insists, throwing a final plank into the barrel as she sits back down.

Zack swivels, turning his attention towards their incumbent leader. "What about you, dude?" he asks, in an attempt to keep the conversation going. "Why don't you tell us who you really are?"

"Because everyone knows  _exactly_  who I am," Jason answers, and there's no mistaking the biting resentment in his voice.

"Okay," he concedes, accepting neither Kimberly nor Jason wish to speak. "What about you, Crazy Girl?" he asks, turning towards the final member of their team.

Trini smirks. "I could tell you  _anything_  and you'd have to believe me," she replies, almost haughtily. For once, she relishes in her anonymity, for as much as she's shared with them about her life and her past, it's but a drop in an ocean and they've barely wet their feet.

Zack gives her a disapproving stare, tilting his head in silent admonishment. She glares defiantly, lips twisting with an unruly scowl, but then her eyes flit towards Billy – his face bright with encouragement – and she feels some of her initial resistance begin to fade. If he can be brave, if Billy can share his loneliness and Zack can share his fear, then maybe she can afford to be just a little bit brave too.

"Okay," she breathes, sitting up. "Um… I'm the new girl.  _Always._  Three schools in three years," she says, and she's surprised to find herself emotional, taken aback by the sudden lump forming in her throat. "What's crazy is I  _like_  it that way. Y'know… it's just easier. Nobody ever has to get to know me, and uh… my parents don't have to worry about my relationships."

"Boyfriend troubles?" Zack questions, probing curiously for more.

"Yeah," she huffs, "Boyfriend troubles."

There's something in the way she says it that makes him reconsider, a lilt to her voice that sounds a little too forced to be natural. His mind races to the night before, the state he had found her in and the anguish she'd expressed over her mother's pregnancy, the quiet distress she'd felt over being replaced by another daughter. One by one, things slowly start to become clear…

" _Girlfriend_  troubles?" he half-asks, half-corrects.

Trini can see the moment he begins to piece things together, realizes he's steps away from connecting the dots, and decides that if she's going to be outed, it'll be by her terms. "My family is so normal," she states, speaking up before anyone else can ask further questions. " _Too_  normal. They believe in labels. They'd like for me to dress different –  _talk_  more. Have the kind of friends they want me to have. It's just…" she pauses, shaking her head, licking her lips that are suddenly too chapped and too dry, "I don't know how to tell them what's really going on with me…"

And okay, so maybe she isn't exactly specific about her sexuality, but she thinks they get it, thinks they can all come to the correct conclusion despite the vagueness of her words. Even Billy is able to put two and two together, his head nodding understandingly along with the rest, and for Trini, that's enough.

With a sharp exhale, she finishes, "...and I've never said  _any_  of this out loud."

"Well, it's cool," Billy assures, leaning over to offer his fist, in the same manner she'd offered him hers the day they'd had their talk – the closest to a hug he'll probably give. "You're with us now."

"Am I?" she asks, hands tucked beneath her knees, and she hates that she leaves him hanging, but after everything – after all the confusion and the self-doubt – Trini doesn't feel much like a part of the team. In fact, she doesn't feel like much of anything, so devoid of direction and purpose that her chest aches with the hollowness of her own existence.

"What does that mean when all this is over?" she continues, asking the one question that's been burning in the back of her mind since the moment this all began. Was any of this even real? Or was it all a sham, a false sense of camaraderie built on the backs of their shared burden?

"Are we Power Rangers, or…" Trini hesitates, eyes searching each of the boys until finally landing on Kim, "are we friends?"

"..."

The five of them lapse into silence, neither willing to look at the other, and though Trini doesn't say it out loud, it kind of breaks her heart when no one answers.

"... right," she nods, resignedly. "I guess that answers that." Downing the last of her drink, she tosses the bottle into the fire and wipes her hands, as if cleansing herself of whatever responsibility or obligation she may have let herself feel for them. Standing, she quickly slings her bag over her shoulder, lips angled in a half-hearted grin as she brings her hand up in a two-fingered salute. "I guess I'll see you when I see you…"

With a heaving sigh, Trini departs for the railway, embraced by the darkness as she slips further and further from the light of their fire. She's halfway to the tracks when the crunching of gravel alerts her to the sound of approaching footsteps. She spares only a single backwards glance to confirm what she already knows, catching sight of Kimberly as she emerges from the treeline in pursuit of the other girl.

"Did you need something?" she asks, and it strikes her that they've been in this position before, that Kim had followed her the day after they found the coins, and again that first time she'd sat with them at lunch. History was repeating itself, but Trini swears not to make the same mistake the second time around.

"Just… just talk to me," Kimberly pleads, and god, the deja vu is so strong it's almost dizzying.

Her jaw flexes, lips thin in a rigid line as she asks, "What's there to talk about?"

"Well, I mean, like… like what you said back there," she stumbles, trampling her way over dirt and rock to keep up with Trini's brisk pace. "I know I should have said something. I should have spoken up about… about everything, about Amanda and Ty, and… all that."

"So, why didn't you?" Trini asks, throwing the question over her shoulder as she marches steadily forward.

"I guess I was just scared," she admits, head lowered with shame. "I didn't want any of you to look at me differently. I didn't want you guys to know that I was capable of that sort of deceit, that I could be so jealous and malicious that I betrayed the trust of a girl who'd been my best friend since the first grade…"

Kim sighs, swallowing thickly. "We're supposed to be Power Rangers. But we can't be Rangers  _or_ friends if we can't trust each other, and who would trust me after a stunt like that? I–"

"I trust you."

"... what?"

"I said I trust you," Trini repeats, her feet grinding to a halt as the hillside gives way to flat plains of dry brush, the train tracks carving a path through its unrelenting sea of yellows and browns. "I trust you to have my back in a fight," she expands, eyes wandering briefly towards the other girl, "And that's the only kind of trust that matters. Anything that happens outside of that… it's not my business."

"But–"

"But let's get one thing straight. We're  _not_ Power Rangers, and we're definitely  _not_  friends," she asserts, eyes narrowed cooly. "We're just a bunch of stupid high schoolers that got caught up in something way bigger than we were ever meant to be. We drew the short straw on the the end of the world, and got drafted to play child soldiers in someone else's war."

"Trini,  _no,"_  Kim begins, and even in the scarce light of the moon, the unmistakable sheen of tears is hard to miss. "You can't possibly believe that. That's not–"

"That's  _exactly_ what we are," she interjects, ears perking as they catch the unmistakable whistle of a train in the near distance. "And that's all we'll ever be."

"But… w-what about  _us?"_  she asks, weakly.

"What  _about_  us?" Trini bites back, hating herself for the way it makes Kimberly flinch.

"I just… I thought we were friends," she replies quietly, voice a breath above a whisper. "Or, I thought we were at least getting there…"

"Yeah, well," Trini shrugs, legs shifting as she prepares to sprint, "You thought wrong."

The shrill, piercing shriek of an approaching train drowns out whatever Kim attempts to reply, the rickety clack announcing its proximity as it quickly draws near. The two girls lock gazes, and Trini swears Kim doesn't look at her so much as she looks  _through_  her, like she can see every sad, broken, dirty little thought that rampages around inside her head. And despite the obvious hurt she's caused, there's a brief moment when the clouds part and the moon shines brightest, and Trini sees as clear as day – a faint spark of forgiveness in her eye, like Kimberly knows she's only deflecting, hurting others to avoid hurting herself.

Trini doesn't wait around to see what comes of it, breaking into a dead run as she tears across the grass. She makes it to the tracks just as the train races past, mentally calculating her speed and trajectory before leaping atop the nearest cargo car, landing knees bent to keep her balance. When she looks back, Kim is still standing exactly where she left her.

As the train whisks her further and further away, Trini doesn't know whether or not she's relieved or disappointed that, this time, Kim chooses not to follow.

 

* * *

 

_Drip._

_Drip… drip…_

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

With each droplet comes a gentle beckoning, rousing Trini from the restless slumber she'd barely fallen into. Her brows knit with tired irritation, but anger quickly gives way to confusion as she registers the wet rhythm drumming against her forehead, eyes snapping open in alarm. She's met with a gruesome sight, Rita Repulsa in all her putrefied glory, hovering menacingly over her prone form.

Trini nearly gags at the rancid smell, the scent of rotten fish and decay wafting through the air like an overbearing perfume. She cringes, flinching back as Rita delicately caresses her cheek, a touch that could almost be mistaken for loving if not for the woman giving it. "Do you know who I am?" she asks, softly.

"Yes…" she answers, helpless to repress the tremble of fear in her voice.

"I was once just like you," Rita smiles, fingers dragging over the features of her face. "So pretty…  _innocent._  Are all the Rangers on Zordon's new team as young as you?"

Trini's eyes widen, a sharp spike of fear lancing through her at the mention of her team. Jason. Zack. Billy.  _Kim._ Were they safe? Had Rita already gotten to them? Instinct kicks in, her body flying off the bed as she throws herself at the deranged woman, choking back her cry of pain as Rita spins them mid-air and sends her crashing into the ceiling.

"Delightful!" she cackles, slamming them back down onto the bed. "Have you morphed yet?" she taunts, twisting them around. Trini's ribs groan in protest as Rita bashes her into the chimney stack, brick and mortar shattering on impact.

"Trick question!" she laughs, "If you could morph, we would be having a  _very_  different conversation."

Leaning in, Rita inhales Trini's scent, as one would before sampling a fine wine. "Mmm…" she moans, eyes fluttering, "... the Yellow Ranger. Should I kill you? I killed the Yellow Ranger before. And I  _loved_  it!"

Trini stares in horror, the cavalier attitude with which Rita speaks of her predecessor's murder enough to send her already tumultuous stomach reeling. She's left defenseless as the former Ranger presses her into the wall, crushed between Rita's unrelenting grip and the now crumbling frame, wishing desperately for the protection her power suit would have no doubt provided had she not been such a failure at morphing.

"Oh?" Rita sneers, as if sensing her thoughts, "You want your armor?" She leans back, a gleeful, almost maniacal glint to her eyes as says, "I'll show you mine… if you show me yours."

Trini watches, paralyzed by terror's grip as sharp spikes of deep verdant protrude from her skin, like stalactites of emerald that meld and crystallize into bristling plates of armor. Rita gasps, lifting her gold-tipped claws as if in awe of her own power, and Trini takes the moment to strike. With a surge of strength, she launches them both across the room, muscles coiled tight as she clamps both hands to her throat.

"Please!" Rita wails, face twisted in pain. "You're hurting me! You're… so… strong!"

Trini hesitates, her grip loosening…

"I'm just kidding!" she mocks, spinning them into the next wall. "You've got  _spunk_ , little Yellow!" she snarls, hand clamped to her throat as the other strokes tenderly at her cheek. "I see myself in you. I was an outsider on Zordon's team. Just… like… you! They don't even know your name!  _Didi!?_  They're not your friends!"

' _Maybe they are, maybe they aren't,'_  she silently replies, ' _but at least they aren't_ murderous sociopaths,  _so at least they've got that going for them.'_

"Come with me!" she whispers, pressed so close their faces touch. "We can be  _friends."_

Trini cringes as Rita nuzzles her neck, lips brushing hungrily over skin as she darts her tongue against the soft angle of her chin. And then she  _licks_  her, the wet, sand-papery organ lapping at the corner of her mouth, and  _good fucking Lord_ , this can't possibly be sanitary. She sincerely hopes there's no such thing as space-herpes, Trini certain she'll die of infection if Rita doesn't kill her first.

Mercifully, she pulls back, face set in an expectant stare as she asks, "All I need to know is… where is the Zeo Crystal?"

"I don't know," Trini rasps, choking around the hand still wrapped firmly around her throat.

Rita smirks. "Sadly, I believe you."

Trini gasps as she's further strangled, back sliding harshly against the textured drywall as Rita lifts her higher. "I don't want to kill her yet," she whines, her complaint falling onto thin air as she talks to no one but herself, "I want to  _play_  with her a little longer!"

And okay, if this bitch wasn't psychotic  _before,_  she's officially fifty shades of cray-cray  _now…_

With an aggravated huff, Rita drags Trini back down to eye-level, hand cupped forcefully to her jaw. "Tomorrow, I am going to destroy Angel Grove!" she declares, harshly. " _But!_  In exchange for your life, you will find out where that crystal is and you will come to me. We can have a deal," she pats her face, "Me and you. As friends."

' _Still not friends,'_  Trini thinks.

"Do  _not_  believe what Zordon says. He will  _BETRAY_  you!" she shouts, her face the embodiment of rage. But as quickly as her temper flares, it tapers down to a cold, dead fury. "I will protect you," she promises, in a breathless rush.

"Where will I find you?" she chokes, desperate for this horrendous experience to end.

Rita leans in, feigning to have misheard. "What?"

"W-where will I find you?" she repeats.

"What?" Rita asks again, cruelly.

"Where… will I find… you…" Trini coughs, pinpricks of darkness dotting her vision as the oxygen deprivation starts to set in.

"Find me where the dead ships live," she finally answers, " _Didi,_  my friend."

Trini goes flying, sailing through the air as Rita flings her into the opposite wall, careening into a makeshift bookshelf of plywood and cinder block. As she tumbles to the floor, she glares defiantly at the disgraced Ranger, even as her consciousness ebbs and starts to fade away. Rita sneers, and the last thing she hears is a quiet, "I'll be seeing you soon."

Then, with a vicious kick to the temple, Trini knows no more.

 

* * *

 

"So, we all got the same text. So where is she?"

Trini slumps, huddled against the concrete walls of the football tunnel, nursing her wounds and her battered pride. She can hear the footsteps of the others as they loiter atop the bleachers, can imagine the looks of impatience on all their faces, probably annoyed that she'd called for them so late at night. For once, she's afraid to face them, ashamed that Rita decided  _she_  would be the most likely to defect, that her loyalty would be brought into question if she revealed the details of their violent encounter.

But she  _had_  to warn them, regardless of what it would cost her. She couldn't just let them walk into tomorrow unaware of the fate that awaited them.

"I'm here!" she announces, ripping off the proverbial bandage as she slowly emerges from the tunnel. "Look… Rita came to my house tonight."

"What?" Kim gasps, as the others share startled looks.

"Yeah," she nods, flipping her hair back as she tugs down the collar of her shirt to reveal the claw marks still bleeding from her neck, "She's real.  _Insane_. She nearly killed me."

"She… she was trying to get me to join her," she admits, eyes lowering so she doesn't have to see the look of betrayal she just  _knows_  they're giving her. "She said she'd spare my life if I could keep a secret."

"What secret?" asks Zack.

"At dawn, the destruction of Angel Grove begins…"

"This is real," Kimberly states, looking to Jason for leadership. "This is the end."

"No, it's not," he refutes, shaking his head at her before turning back to look at Trini. "Where is she?"

"She said to meet her where the dead ships live," she replies, repeating to him what Rita had spoken.

"Okay, that's the boatyard, right?" he says, climbing past her on the stairs, "Let's go."

"What?" asks Kim, dumbfounded, as Zack scoffs behind her.

"Jason, we're not even Power Rangers yet," Trini reminds, and even then, she's not sure that would be enough.

"I say we go back to Zordon," Billy suggests.

"Okay… the  _only_  reason Zordon wanted us to become Power Rangers is so that he can come back to life!"

"What makes you say that?" Billy frowns, brows pinched in confusion

"Because he  _told_ me," Jason sighs.

His face falls, "Wait… so all this is a lie?"

" _Of course_  it was a lie, Billy," he says, and god, if Trini didn't hate Zordon before, she sure as hell does now. "We failed. Let's stop being delusional about being a team of superheroes…"

"We're  _all_  screw-ups," he declares, looking pointedly at each and every single one of them, as if daring them to prove him wrong. When no one speaks up, he continues, "And as much as I hate this scrubby, bullshit town, I don't wanna just sit around and watch it die, okay?  _Let's go_  and do the  _one thing_  that's been asked of us… and kill Rita."

It wouldn't go down in history as one of the greatest pep talks ever, but Trini has to admit that it's effective, and finds herself nodding along with the rest as they all slowly come to the same conclusion. One way or another, Rita needed to be stopped.

"You know this is a really bad idea, right?" Kim asks, in a final attempt at being the voice of reason.

"The worst," he agrees, "Let's vote. Show of hands."

Trini barely even has to think about it, her earlier promise to him echoing in the corner of her mind. Her hand raises, steady and sure, and Jason flashes her a grateful smile. Kim follows her, as she always does, and Zack lifts his fist in quiet solidarity. Jason raises his own hand, and after a quiet moment of contemplation, Billy holds up his as well.

Jason nods grimly, the decision made and their fates likely sealed. Turning, he jogs up the stairs and through the tunnel as he had done so many times before – no longer captain of the football team, but leader of the Power Rangers.

"Let's do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PT. 2 should come out within a week or two, depending on my schedule. I just started school back up again on Monday, so between work, school, studying, and life in general, my time is a bit more limited now, so all I ask is that you have patience with the next chapter. It's my baby, so I really want to take the time to get it right.
> 
> Thank you!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna leave this one here...

" _I have a rendezvous with Death."_

_Trini is eight years old._

" _At some disputed barricade, when Spring comes back with rustling shade, and apple-blossoms fill the air-"_

_Trini is eight years old, and she's at a funeral. She's sitting in the third row, squished between her mother and father as the chaplain recites a prayer or a poem – she's not entirely sure, too focused on the squirming lump of flesh that's supposed to be her new baby brother. He's ugly, she thinks, but then again, Danny had looked like a sack of potatoes when he'd been born, and he's turned out kind of fine? Maybe Alex will turn out the same?_

_She can certainly hope._

_Curiously, she reaches out a finger and gently prods it to his cheek, the appendage sinking deeply into the pillowy softness of his skin. He gurgles at the intrusion, her mother glaring sharply as she nods her head towards the front for her to pay attention. But it's her father who convinces Trini to behave, his melancholy stare evoking such sadness in her little heart that she sits up immediately, smoothing out the frilly dress she'd been forced into wearing and listens as intently as her child sized attention span will allow._

" _I have a rendezvous with Death," the chaplain drones on, "when Spring brings back blue days and fair. It may be he shall take my hand, and lead me into his dark land. And close my eyes and quench my breath – it may be I shall pass him still."_

_Trini's eyes land on the shiny wooden casket sat front and center, her lips tugging downward into a frustrated frown. He uncle Ray is supposedly inside, though her mother hadn't allowed her to look when she'd asked if she could go and say hello. He's dead, her parents had explained, and when she asked what that meant, they merely shook their heads and said she'd understand when she's older._

_She doesn't think she can wait that long._

_The chaplain clears his throat, staring out across the congregation as he lays a hand atop the casket. "I have a rendezvous with Death," he continues, "On some scarred slope of battered hill, when Spring comes round again this year, and the first meadow-flowers appear–"_

" _Can I use the bathroom?" she whispers, tapping her mother's knee. She gets little more than a curt nod, but it's all the permission Trini needs, her tiny legs kicking the air as she scoots her way off the pew. Her father pats her gently atop the head as she squeezes by, the closest to any sort of affection he's shown in the weeks since he returned from that far off place. She smiles in return – all gap-toothed and lopsided – but gets nothing else for her efforts, and so she moves on, treading carefully so as not to squeak her new shoes on the tile floor._

_She pushes past the double-doors and into the entrance-lobby, mindful of the way they 'clack!' if pushed too roughly. Gently, she guides the door back to its resting place, and sets off for the restrooms down the hall._

" _God knows 'twere better to be deep, pillowed in silk and scented down." Even here, she can still hear the chaplain speak, his slow, booming voice echoing through the walls as she stops in front of a picture, her uncle Ray smiling proudly in uniform. "Where love throbs out in blissful sleep, pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath. Where hushed awakenings are dear…"_

" _You're one helluva lucky kid."_

_Trini startles at the unexpected voice, unaware she wasn't alone. She looks up, craning her neck as she stares at the tall man before her, dressed in the same formal wear as her father. She recognizes him – barely – as the newest addition to their unit, a young private on his first deployment the last time she'd seen him._

" _That could've been your old man," he nods, and she becomes acutely aware of the silver flask in his hand as he points, realizes his eyes are bloodshot and his posture sloppy. Her mother had warned her to stay away from drunken men, but his words pique her interest, and so she stays – if only to hear what he has to say._

" _What do you mean?"_

" _We were stuck. Cornered in some random family's home we'd barricaded ourselves into. He was closest to the grenade when it came flying through the window," he explains, downing another mouthful from his flask. "He was ready to throw himself atop it, but then Ray came outta nowhere… yanked him back by the straps of his vest – threw him clear across the room. Didn't even think twice about it. He just… curled himself around it, and then… bam! He was gone."_

" _... gone?" she repeats, hesitantly._

" _Yeah, gone!" he exclaims, gesticulating wildly, "Dead. Blown to bits! Got a hole the size of a damn watermelon through his chest. It's why the casket is closed… there's really not much of him left to look at."_

_Trini grimaces at the imagery, suddenly no longer in need of the restroom. Instead, she turns slowly and makes her way back into the chapel, casting a wary glance at the soldier as he slumps into a bench and downs the rest of his drink. Hurrying back to their pew, she shuffles into place between her parents, grasping frantically for her father's hand._

" _I'm sorry…" she whispers._

" _But I have a rendezvous with Death, at midnight in some flaming town–"_

" _For what?" he asks, brows pinched._

" _... when Spring trips north again this year…"_

_But she only shakes her head and says again, "I'm sorry."_

" _And I to my pledged word am I true, I shall not fail that rendezvous."_

_Trini is eight years old, and she's at a funeral. She's sitting in the third row, squished between her mother and father as the chaplain finishes his poem. She doesn't know what any of this means. All she knows is that her brother is ugly, her mother is stern. Her uncle is dead, her daddy is not._

_She also knows that, in some way, this is her fault._

 

* * *

 

The night is unrelenting in its darkness, shrouding them in a blanket of black velvet that sits heavy with the knowledge of their perilous task. They find the entrance to the boatyard tucked between two dilapidated buildings, the five teens reluctant to forsake the familiar safety of the streets for the poorly lit alley, but they forge ahead with the invincibility and naivety of inexperienced youth. Onward they trek, following no particular direction as they scavenge the maze of wrecked and abandoned ships, searching for Rita amongst the graveyard of old boats and spare parts.

Despite the dark, lurking shadows, and the derelict state of their surroundings, they find little reason to be afraid. In fact, if one could ignore the eerie atmosphere and focus instead on the salt kissed breeze, could listen to the rhythmic lapping of the ocean tide, then one could imagine they were on but a midnight stroll of the beach. But this was no leisurely walk down the pier, nor was it a casual excursion to the boardwalk. They were here for  _blood,_  to kill Rita for the greater good of the world, and no matter how much she may deserve it – regardless of what she's already done, and all that she threatens to do – her death would remain on their hands for the rest of their lives.

The loss of such innocence looming over them weighs gravely on Trini's mind, her eyes flitting from one teammate to the next. Her stomach churns as tumultuously as the sea outside the safety of the harbor, and she nearly retches with how nauseous it makes her. Because she already knows what it's like to live with that guilt, has lived the past eight years with the knowledge that she was, in part, responsible for her uncle's death; can still remember how she'd stood by him on the tarmac the day they were to deploy, watching her father kiss her mother goodbye, one hand pressed to her newly swollen belly as Danny wobbled in circles around them.

She hadn't known it at the time, but this was the last moment she'd ever physically see him alive – and perhaps that's what makes tragedy so tragic, the way it comes when you least expect it. It was the first time she'd been old enough to cognitively understand what deploying meant, and instead of wishing him well, instead of telling her uncle how much she loved him and how much she'd miss him, she'd tugged his pant leg and quietly begged, " _Bring my daddy home."_

And this man, her godfather and her uncle – who was as much a hero to her as her own father – had gently kissed her atop the head and promised, " _Whatever it takes."_

He died nine months later, two days before they were set to come home.

Trini trembles at the memory, nearly stumbling beneath the gravity and the realization that she's about to be responsible for four more deaths if this doesn't go the way as planned – and one more, even if it does. She doesn't recognize the tremendous amount of stress she's placed herself under, both physically and mentally, until she catches her side against the corner of an old crate and crumbles almost instantly to her knees.

"Shit…" she hisses, hand flying to her ribs – the same ribs she knows are still cracked from her earlier encounter with the deranged space-witch, throbbing with the memory of Rita tossing her around like a rag-doll. Trini hadn't waited to contact the other Rangers after that, sending out the text almost as soon as she awoke a short while later, hopped up on adrenaline and fear as she made her way to the school to warn them of the approaching danger. What a perfect time for it to fade, she thinks, scornfully.

Kim drops beside her, kneeling as she takes the hand Trini is attempting to use to pull herself back up. "What is it? What's wrong?" she asks, eyes roving hastily for injury. "Are you hurt? Shit, of course you're hurt! Rita  _attacked_  you and we didn't even ask if you were okay…"

"It's fine," Trini assures, sucking in breaths as the sharp pain slowly dulls. "It's fine," she says again, though she's not really sure who she's trying to convince at this point.

"No, it's not," Kim insists, gently forcing her back down as she makes another wobbly attempt to stand. "Guys, guys! Hold up, Trini is hurt."

"No," she argues, shaking her head as the boys worriedly crowd in. "No, I'm fine. I just… I just need a minute to catch my breath."

Kim shares a pleading look with Jason, his face rigid with concern, who nods with silent understanding and corrals Zack and Billy as they try to get closer. "C'mon, guys," he says, waving for them to follow, "We'll scout ahead and then circle back. Keep your phones on vibrate and let us know if you see anything while we're gone. Just… take a breather, alright? We'll be right back."

"Thank you," Kim whispers, and  _fuck._  This is  _exactly_ what Trini doesn't need, to be perceived as the weak one on top of everything else she's dealt with that night. She watches the three boys depart, her resentment growing the further and further they get, lips pulled back in annoyed snarl as she glares furiously at the floor. Could she be any more of a failure?

"It's okay," Kim soothes, as if sensing her thoughts, "You've been through a lot tonight. It's okay to need a break."

"I said I was fine!" Trini snaps, much to Kimberly's chagrin.

"Okay!" she huffs, hands held up in surrender. "Okay, I get it. I'm sorry, alright? I was just trying to be a good fr–" She stops, head dropping as she sighs, "I was just trying to help."

Trini curses herself at the sight, stomach twisting with guilty knots as Kim folds both arms across her chest, as if to protect herself from the biting cold of her ingratitude. God, why was she such a raging asshole – especially to the people that least deserved it? They were moments from battling the greatest threat this world had ever seen, and all Trini can care to think about is preserving her own selfish pride.

Swallowing what little remains of her dignity, Trini reaches out, tugging one arm loose until Kimberly confusedly relents. Tentatively, she takes her hand, trying not to think about how this could be the last genuine contact she'll ever have, focusing instead on the gentle warmth that pulses between them. Kim eyes their joined hands, glancing once at Trini before slowly lacing their fingers into something more intimate than palm-to-palm, and Trini allows it – if only to contemplate the way her fingers slot so perfectly between her own. And it's strange, she thinks, how Kim's hand fills the gaps and empty spaces between her fingers, in the same way she'd slowly begun to fill the gaps and empty spaces in her life that she hadn't known needed filling.

And as she stares down at their hands, Trini thinks again about her uncle, thinks about that unintentional last moment they had shared, and realizes she doesn't want to make that same mistake this time around.

She gently nudges her, "Kim."

"Hmm?"

"... I'm sorry." The word feels foreign on her tongue, as though it doesn't belong. It's been so long since Trini has apologized for anything she almost doesn't know if she's saying it right, but she says it again just to be sure. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she shrugs, half-heartedly.

"No, not for that–or, well,  _yes,_  for that. But also…" Trini's eyes lower, gaze averted as she adds, "also for earlier, for the way I spoke to you. And for everything else since this began, for always being so abrasive, and I guess just… for not being the person you wanted me to be."

"What?" This time Kim looks at her with an expression of stunned confusion, "Why would you… what would even make you  _think_ that?"

Trini shrugs uncertainly. "I dunno. I just know that you had expectations when this all began, about us… about what you wanted us to be, and–"

"I just wanted to be your friend!" Kim exclaims, "I just wanted to  _know_  you. God, you don't even know how badly… I have spent my entire life surrounded by fake ass friends, pretending to be someone I'm not just so I could fit in. My mistake was my wakeup call, and meeting you… seeing you… it was like you were this completely opposite person to everything I had known.

"And yeah, I get it. The tough girl thing is a total act, and you play it well, but there's just something about you that's so inherently raw, and genuine, and  _real._  And I guess I just… I wanted to be a part of that."

Trini looks away, baffled by the confession and Kim's adamant desire to know her, uncertain of how to respond or what to do. Fortunately, Kim still has more she wants to say, saving her from having to reply.

"I… I was with Jason tonight," she admits, and there's something about the thought of Kim and Jason – alone together – that makes Trini's stomach clench, something she refuses to acknowledge. "I told him about what I did… about Amanda and Ty, and how I sent that picture to him because I couldn't stand the thought of someone else being picked over me. I felt terrible. I still do. I wanted to change, to not be that angry, bitchy, spiteful girl who only thought of herself. And you know what Jason told me?"

Trini bites, "... what?"

"He told me to be whoever I want to be. And y'know the funny thing?" she laughs, shyly ducking her head, "All I could think of when he said that was… how I wanted to be like you."

She blinks, taken aback. " _Why?"_

"Because, contrary to what you might believe, you're actually an incredible human being," Kim answers. "I mean, don't let that get to your head. You're standoffish, you have a temper, and you're far too sarcastic for your own good… but you're also so much more than that.

"I see the way you treat Billy, how gentle and patient you are with him, even when the rest of us aren't. And Zack… there's just something about the way you two are together, like you ground each other, and Jason," she laughs, "Jason is intimidated by you, but he respects you, and I think… I think he sees you as something of a kindred spirit…"

".. and you?" Trini asks, hesitantly.

"Me? Oh, I think you're the best damn friend I've had in a long time," she grins, before it shifts into something softer, more shy, "Honestly, even if you don't consider me as a friend, I think of you as mine. And it's taken me awhile, but I'm… I'm okay with that…"

Trini glances away, eyes searching the distance for an answer she just can't find, struggling to put words to everything she doesn't know how to say. "Kimberly, look," she sighs, "I–"

"We found her."

The two girls jump, startled as the boys make their sudden return. Jason blinks, staring at their still joined hands, an apologetic, "Sorry, did we… interrupt something?" escaping him as they leap apart.

"No, we just–" Trini begins, only to be steamrolled by Kim as she speaks loudly over her. "Actually, yeah. Can you give us just another minute?"

Jason nods but doesn't otherwise move, loitering obliviously beside the two until Kim clears her throat and waves a finger for him to turn around and leave, a clear look of exasperation on her face.

"Oh," he blinks, owlishly, "Right…"

"You were saying?" she asks, as the boys awkwardly shuffle away once again.

But Trini has lost her nerve, the reminder of what awaits them demolishing what little sense of peace she'd regained in the short time with Kim, her anxiety and fear returning tenfold now that Rita is located. She shakes her head, pulling away even as Kimberly moves to keep her close, holding a hand out to keep her at arm's length.

"It doesn't… it doesn't matter anymore," she sighs, heavy with resignation. "We need to get going. We need to finish this."

"Trini, no," she pleads, slowly shaking her head. "Please don't do this. Don't shut me out. Not here. Not now. Not when it  _matters_   _most…"_

But Trini is already walking away, making her way to where Jason, Billy, and Zack wait, leaving Kimberly with the distinct, dreadful feeling she's about to be left behind once again.

 

* * *

 

"There!" Jason whispers, as they come upon a storage depot at the edge of the docks, flickering lights illuminating the hooded figure that awaits. "C'mon, let's do this!"

Music cuts through the silence, a familiar tune that Trini can't quite place, beckoning to them like a call to war as they charge through the deserted warehouse. Her legs churn beneath her as they quickly pick up speed, racing towards the dark shadow as battle cries rip their way from their throats. But it's not Rita they find waiting for them, heels digging into the ground as they skid to a halt around one of the local homeless men, frightened and trembling as he struggles to escape the chair he's tightly bound to.

Billy, ever the thoughtful one, attempts to hand his makeshift pipe-bat to Kim, already stepping towards the man as he says, "We'll untie him."

"No, no, no!" she says, holding her hand up to prevent him from moving forward. "Let's  _think_  about this, okay?"

"Okay, but–"

Trini tunes them out, focused intently on the slow, steady stream of droplets that splash atop the man's face, his eyes blinking with growing terror as he stares upwards towards the rafters. Realization hits her like a brick to the face, a breathless, "Oh, shit!" rushing past her lips just as Rita descends upon them with a gleeful shriek. She crashes atop the man with such force, he goes flying across the floor into some random dark corner, and Trini can only hope he somehow made it out of that alive. But she has little time to contemplate his fate, scrambling to her feet as she and the others slowly circle the former Ranger.

"Right on time!" Rita jeers, "I was beginning to think you were too  _dumb_  to know where the dead ships live."

Trini growls, hand tightening around the pseudo-dagger she'd pieced together from a broken handle and an old rusted nail she'd bent into place. With a snarl, she hurls it at the woman, heart jolting as she misses, Rita sidestepping the attack with relative ease.

"Let's play!" she challenges, and all at once, they charge.

It's pathetic, really, how easily she defeats them. All their hard work and training has led to nothing, Rita barely fazed by their attempt to take her down, staff twirling with deadly grace as she smacks them one by one into the ground. Trini groans as the flattened head slams powerfully into her chest, reintroducing her to the pain in her ribs, the air expelled from her lungs in one forceful breath. She crawls slowly to her feet, only to be knocked down again as Rita swirls her staff, sending out a shockwave of energy that has them sprawled across the floor in painful agony.

The last thing she sees before the lights go out, the bulbs shattering overhead, is Kimberly curled into a ball as Jason claws his way to check on her. There's a loud, cracking ' _snap!'_  and Trini's heart plummets as a familiar voice yelps with pain, a terrified, "Billy!" shouted from her lips as she tries to stand.

"Trini! Watch out, she's–"

"Zack!" she cries, gut churning with an anxious swell as a second snap is heard, the Black Ranger falling silent as she ploughs through the dark to find him. Two more snaps follow in quick succession, and still Trini is oblivious to the danger, searching for a way to help despite not knowing how. Something rams unexpectedly into her, Trini stumbling as she lashes out on instinct, but she only hits air, causing her further imbalance.

"Missed me!" a voice whispers into her ear, her blood curdling as a horrifically familiar tongue laps at the nape of her neck. "Oooh, I can taste your fear. Try again, darling!"

Trini lashes out again and again, swinging wildly with reckless abandon, trying to fight what she can't even see. But Rita evades her at every turn, cackling at her pitiful attempts at retaliation, poking and prodding her in playful mockery as she dances around her. Eventually, Trini runs out of steam, throwing the last of her strength into a final punch before finally caving in, arms dropping like lead weights as her chest heaves with exertion.

"Aww, is that it? Is the wee Yellow Ranger all tuckered out?" Rita coos, "I think you put up a better fight the first time around. Shame, I was hoping we could have a bit more  _fun_  before we begin. Oh, well!" Then, in a flash of green, Trini slams to the ground, limbs snapping together as she's wrapped in a cocoon of rope and fishing net, dragged unceremoniously from the darkness of the warehouse and into the moonlight.

There, she finds the others tied and waiting, struggling to escape their own captivity as they lay upright, bound to the hull of an old fishing vessel. Trini quickly joins them, pinned beside Jason at the end of the line, strung up like fish waiting to be gutted.

She wonders if Rita's powers extend to telepathy, once again voicing her thoughts as she strides alongside them on the dock. "Five little Rangers, tied up like fish!" she taunts, cackling as she struts proudly, practically preening over such an effortless victory. Halting, she studies Jason briefly before breaking out into a delighted smirk. "The leader?" she questions, "Oh, hello, Red!"

Jason growls, his face enraged as he lurches forward and smashes his head against her own. "Hah!" she laughs, far more amused than hurt, "You're not entirely disappointing."

"Ohh, look at you," she coos, feigning sympathy, "trying to figure out my plan. I'll just tell you! Yellow," she points her staff to Trini, "has led you to your deaths!"

Four heads snap in her direction, and Trini stares back, tearful eyes conveying her apology and regret as every fear she'd held about that night slowly comes to pass. Remorse ripples through her, undulating like the approaching tide, sending cold shivers tingling down her spine. As Rita continues to speak, garnering their attention once more, Trini shuts her eyes and swears she'll find a way to make this right… ' _Whatever it takes.'_

Rita paces impatiently. "Because I am going to kill you  _one by one_  until you tell me… where is my crystal?"

"We don't know!" Jason grits out, contemptuously.

"No, Red.  _YOU_  don't know!" she cries, hand curling forcefully around his jaw. "But guess what? One of you does!"

Trini's head jerks up in surprise, sharing a baffled stare with Jason as he looks to her in stunned surprise. His eyes ask clearly enough, ' _Is it you?'_  but she's asking him the same thing, and they can only watch in nervous anticipation as Rita marches her way down towards the other end of the line.

"Who could it be?" she sings, merrily. "Eenie," she passes Kim, "Meenie," skips Zack, "Miney…" stops at Billy and smiles wolfishly, "Blue!"

And Trini's heart doesn't stop so much as it crashes to a halt, thundering against her rib cage in a head on collision as terror takes the wheel and steers her straight into oncoming traffic.  _No,_  is all she can think. Not him. Not  _any_ of them, but  _especially_ not him…  _not Billy._

"Blue," Rita grins, and Jason is right there alongside her as Trini surges against the ropes, praying to God, the universe, or whatever deity exists out there that she won't lay a hand on him. "So loyal… pure of heart. Tell the class what you know!" she demands, jerking her staff at the other four. "Where's my crystal?"

Billy squirms, his discomfort evident as he flinches beneath the harshness of her stare. Hesitantly, he shakes his head 'no'.

Rita sighs, disappointed as he chooses to remain silent. "You can tell me now, Blue, or you can tell me after I kill all your friends. Let's start with Zack!" In a flash, she has her staff pressed to his throat, and though Trini is too far to actually see what's going on, the anguish can be felt in his voice as his cries of pain echo into the night.

Again, Trini is struck with the terrifying realization that this is her fault, that she's to blame for the situation they're in now. She thinks back to all the things she could have done differently, wishes she had been strong enough to face Rita on her own, or that she hadn't been so stubborn about letting them in – that maybe if she had been just a bit more open, they might be actual Power Rangers instead of the sad, weak imitations they are now.

"He dies in three…" Rita counts, ticking off her fingers. "...two…"

"Okay! Okay!" shouts Billy, sighing with audible relief as the rod is yanked back, dropping to Rita's side as she turns expectantly towards him. "Don't hurt my friends, alright? It's at a dining establishment."

"Where?" she asks, "What does that mean? What's it called?"

"It… it's a Krispy Kreme," he finally admits, and Trini's gut wrenches as she recalls the incident earlier that week, when she'd found him awestruck in front of the donut shop with nothing short of stars in his eyes. " _It's just something I've been researching,"_  he had said, " _It's not something I can risk getting wrong…"_  It's so obvious now that she thinks about it, and Trini can only berate herself now for yet another thing she didn't get right…

"Krispy Kreme?" Zack mouths, still gasping for air.

"Krispy Kreme," Rita repeats, with a look of profound reverence. "This is a special place?"

"Very special," Billy assures, nodding his head.

"It must be," she muses, "The source of life itself is buried there. Thank you, Blue, for being so weak." Slapping a palm to his face, she pats it in farewell and makes her way down the dock back towards solid land.

Trini sags with relief as she passes, trying not to hope too hard that this is it, that Rita will simply walk away and let them be. But, as with everything else that night, nothing goes according to plan, as Rita turns and adds, "Zordon would lose all respect for me if I didn't kill you."

Trini's heart catches in her throat.

"At least one of you," she amends, raising her scepter as an ominous light pulses towards it center, glowing sickly and green as she sweeps it towards the other end of the boat. Trini doesn't know who Rita is aiming for, only that it isn't her, and somehow, that terrifies her more than if she'd been the intended target. Because she doesn't care what happens to herself – she never has, and she doesn't think she ever truly will – but these four kids beside her…

"I'll take you to Krispy Kreme!" she says, speaking even before she's fully aware of what she's saying, of what she's offering to do.

But her memory flashes back to the day they found the ship, to that first leap across the canyon and how she had hoped that they wouldn't follow. Against better judgement and common sense, they had followed her anyway, and as she thinks back upon the past two weeks, she realizes she's all the better for it. Because as much as she denies it, as much as she's tried to fight it… Trini knows now exactly what they mean to her, and what she's willing to risk if it means that this time, she's the only one making that leap.

"I'll take you to Krispy Kreme," she repeats, ignoring the scathing look of betrayal Jason shoots her, pretending not to see the confusion on Billy's face, or Zack's hurt, or Kim's heartbreak.

Rita smirks, the iridescent green dulling into something less sinister as she swings the staff in her direction and releases her in a blinding flash. Trini tumbles to the dock, landing painfully atop her knees as her legs buckle and give way, numb from lack of circulation. She rubs her wrists, soothing away the rope burn as the power coin flares from where it sits deep in her front pocket, pulsing in rhythm to the beat of her thundering heart.

Zordon had said the coins were sentient, and Trini can only hope it understands what she's doing, hopes it knows just how desperately she needs it to cooperate with her just this once – hopes that what she's about to do doesn't spell an automatic death sentence for anyone else but possibly her.

She kneels before Rita, catching her breath as she does her best to remain unperturbed by the indignant cries of her teammates, their shouts of "Trini, no!" and "don't do this!" like a physical blow upon her weakened body. But it's Billy's hushed, "you're supposed to be one of us…" that nearly breaks her, nearly shatters her resolve into a million irreparable shards. It's only her determination to set things right that prevent her from giving in, feeding her the strength to do what's needed, and fortifying her decision to carry this through to the very end.

The sorceress crouches lowly before her, her expression gleeful and light as she reaches out a hand and tenderly places it to Trini's cheek. "I thought you'd see reason," Rita purrs, fingers sliding lower to cup her chin.

Trini leans against the touch, closing her eyes as she focuses on what needs to be done. ' _Whatever it takes,'_  plays through her head like a record stuck on repeat, a mantra she takes to heart as she tries and fails to imagine a world without Jason Scott, Zack Taylor, Billy Cranston, or Kimberly Hart. It's a world that should never exist, and as she repeats ' _whatever it takes,'_  one last time, she feels the moment her coin  _finally_ stops resisting.

She nearly sobs with relief as it ceases pulsing, evening out instead to a warm but steady glow. Her hand shoots forward, fingers clamping around Rita's throat just as her armor makes its first appearance, springing forth like flowers in bloom as it crystalizes and forms over her bare knuckles. The former Ranger chokes in surprise, eyes widening in shock as the suit knits itself atop Trini's skin until she's nearly encased in vibrant, golden armor, glowing almost ethereally beneath the light of the moon.

"Yeah, well…" Trini's eyes flicker towards Kimberly, offering a wry smile as she repeats the words to Rita what she had said to her not so long before, " _... you thought wrong."_

Standing, she drags them both to their feet, smirking at the way Rita continues to gape breathlessly.

"I don't care that you singled me out. I don't care that you hurt me. I can take whatever shit you throw my way. You can  _beat_ me…" the helmet crowns Trini's head, "... you can  _break_ me…" her visor clicks shut, "but god fucking help you…" her hand tightens, clenching harder against Rita's throat, "the  _instant_ you decide to threaten  _ **my friends."**_

And with a mighty heave, she sends Rita flying, the witch careening through the air as Trini launches her straight into the depths of the ocean with a resounding splash.

"Bitch," she scoffs, dusting her hands.

Stunned silence fills the air, thick with tension as the other four slowly process this sudden, unexpected turn of events, eyes darting between Trini in all her armored glory and the now gently lapping waves. And then…

"I knew it! I KNEW IT!" Kim crows, laughing with barely contained relief as the boys whoop and holler with joy, banging their fists against the boat in fervent celebration. Trini smiles behind her mask, but it's short lived as Rita reemerges from the water, soggy and wet as a wave carries her back onto the dock.

Her face is livid, twisted in fury as she marches towards the Yellow Ranger, who steps forward to meet her head on. "How!?" she screams, jabbing her finger against the chest plate, "How? How can this be?"

"It's simple, really," Trini answers, swatting her hand, "I found something worth fighting for. And I can guarantee you, they mean more to me than your  _stupid crystal_  ever will to you."

"You do  _not_ want to do this!" Rita snarls, her jaw clenched tight. "I extended my hand to you in friendship, and this is how you choose to repay me? You're making a grievous mistake, little Yellow!"

"So what?" she shrugs, "I've made plenty. But this… this is the only mistake I've made that will ever matter."

"You'll die," she warns, maddeningly.

Trini nods. "So be it."

Rita stares blankly, as though taken aback, dark eyes gleaming with something close to respect. And then she too nods. "... so be it," she concludes, almost solemnly.

And with that, the battle begins. Rita shrieks, her staff igniting in green fire as she brandishes the weapon, cracking it in a wide swing that Trini blocks, bringing her forearm up to intercept the blow. She dodges the subsequent attack, skirting back as Rita spins in an attempt to catch her off guard. She darts back in, keeping close as she strikes with a few quick jabs before dancing back out of reach, knowing she only has a short window of time to gain the upper hand.

Trini's no fool. She knows that even with the armor and the additional boost in strength, she's clearly outmatched by her opponent who has age, experience, and skill on her side. Rita had already killed five fully-fledged Rangers, and she herself had only just morphed; it was unrealistic to believe she'd come out of this on top, but if she could just buy the others enough time – either to escape, or even just to  _survive_  – then she could at least consider this a success, regardless of what that means for her in the end.

Her eyes flicker towards the staff, ducking and weaving as Rita bears it down upon her again and again. It's clearly the source to her power, and she wonders briefly if there's a way to separate the two, even if temporarily. Deciding she has no other plans, Trini launches an offensive, leg stomping as she rears forward in a front kick. Her foot catches Rita squarely in the chest, knocking her off balance, giving Trini ample room to finally strike back.

She doesn't go for anything fancy, falling back on her own experience as the boxer her father had once trained her to be, going back to basics as she throws a jab and a cross. It's simple but effective, Trini staying light on her feet as she bounces back and forth, tossing in a swift uppercut that clips Rita directly upon the chin. Right, right, left, right. She presses on, alternating between head and body, bashing her fists at every opportunity.

Rita is far from a punching bag, blocking and parrying blows, throwing her own in when she can. It's a deadly back and forth, with Trini taking more hits than she actually gives, but she persists in spite it all, continuing to assault the ex-Ranger with everything she has. Beside them, she can hear the others cheering her on, drawing strength from their belief in her and her love for them.

Despite the danger, even Billy is getting into it, straining against the ropes as he shouts, "You can do it, Trini! Kick her a–her butt! Kick her butt!"

And she almost laughs, but that's the exact moment everything goes wrong as Rita disengages, stepping back as she lifts her staff towards the boat. "Oh, shut up!" she scowls, the tip lighting once more in that venomous shade of green.

"NO!" Trini roars, blood rushing through her ears as her heart nearly bursts with terror. Instinct takes over her body as she lunges for the staff, yanking it in her own direction just as the blast sets off, exploding against her stomach. It feels like the train crash all over again, like every bone in her body is being crushed and pulverized, as though she'd been chewed up and spat back out.

Trini stares down, hands trembling as they hover over the gaping hole in her suit, sparking with disrepair as it reveals a bloody patch of burnt skin. Rita stands, frozen too in place as she gazes at the wound in silent wonder, as if she hadn't been the one to deliver it. "Congratulations," she eventually huffs, raising her weapon once more as shock gives way to contempt. "You just  _killed_ yourself."

Trini stumbles back and falls to her knees, sinking beneath the weight of her failure as Rita's final blow hovers somewhere close behind. Even beneath the pale light of the moon, she can still see the shadow of her scepter, poised and ready to strike in eager hands. She makes one final attempt to stand, but her strength betrays her, fleeing her body as if it could somehow escape the fate that awaits her.

Everything hurts.

Lifting her head, she stares at the four teens before her, screaming and shouting her name as they thrash against the ropes that tie them down. Silently, she wills the visor of her helmet to recede, feeling it fall away, and hopes she can twist her grimace of pain into something even remotely resembling a smile. She accepts she's likely to die that night, and she supposes that if this is it, she'd like to see their faces once last time.

"Trini, no," Kimberly begs, shaking her head as tears threaten to fall. "Get up! You have to fight this!"

"Goddamnit, Crazy Girl!" Zack bellows, surging against the ropes as he struggles to break free. "Don't do this! Don't you dare fucking do this!"

"Come on, Trini! You're stronger than this!" Jason encourages, glaring at Rita as she hovers gleefully in the background. "You're stronger than her!"

But again, it's only Billy's voice Trini seems attuned to, his lips quivering with apology as he laments over the way she'd injured herself in his defense. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to make her angry…"

"Shh, it's okay," she soothes, offering him a weak grin. "It's okay, Billy. Just look away. Can you do that for me? Just look away and it'll be okay…"

"Yes, Billy," Rita mocks, "Look away! You don't want to see what I have in store for our dear Yellow!"

"Shut up, ignore her," Trini grunts, fighting not to roll her eyes. But then her face softens, "Just look away, and then this will all be over. I promise, you'll be okay."

"But she's going to kill you!" he whimpers, "You're going to die…"

"I know," she nods, wincing as a spasm of pain lances through her side, "I know.  _It's okay_. People die, Billy, but that doesn't mean they're gone for good. I… I love you," she admits, eyes burning as tears flood her vision, "I love  _all_ of you, and that… that doesn't just go away, okay? Love lives on, even when people don't, and… a-and…"

And she can't do this. Trini can't do this, can't die on her knees with tears in her eyes, just waiting for it to end. She falls quiet, mustering what little strength she has left, biding her time as Rita mistakes her silence for acceptance. She tilts her head, watching from the barest corner of her periphery as the witch prepares to strike, lifting the staff high above her head.

With a cry, Rita swings it down in a searing arc, and Trini throws herself to the side, letting momentum carry her into a roll. The staff splinters through the wooden floorboards where she had knelt mere moments ago, her visor snapping shut as she pounces atop the former Ranger, left momentarily defenseless in the midst of her failed attack.

She tackles her around the midsection, the staff clattering from her hands as Trini falls atop her, hammering her fists in a relentless assault. She gets a few good hits in before Rita regains her bearings, howling with fury as she spins them around and slams Trini onto her back. "You stupid, stupid girl!" she seethes, pounding her with punches. "So much potential… wasted! And for what? For them?"

"We could have been gods!" she screams, bashing her fist again and again to the side of Trini's helmet. Slowly, it begins to crack. "You and I, together! We could have ruled this world –  _this universe!_  – if you weren't such a stubborn, sentimental fool! You love them? Hah! Don't make me laugh! Love is for the weak! Love is what killed Zordon's team, and love will kill you too!"

Trini flinches as Rita rants and raves, gurgling through a mouthful of blood as her helmet finally gives way, partially exposing her face beneath. Her head lolls to the side, eyes finding her friends as they always do, vision blurring as she starts to fade into unconsciousness – perhaps something more permanent, she doesn't know. All she knows is that she finally understands what her parents couldn't explain to her as a child, why her uncle had died; not because she'd asked him to, but because he had asked it of himself. Because he loved her father, he loved his unit, and because he loved her too.

At least now, finally, she can forgive herself for it. As for everything else…

"S-stop… stop…" she chokes out, blood bubbling from her lips as she prepares to make one final attempt, to atone for everything else she didn't do right.

"What?" Rita smirks, pausing mid-blow as she leans closer.

"... st-op…"

"What?" she repeats, mocking her in the same way she had earlier that night in Trini's bedroom.

"I said…" she gasps, spitting a wad of blood into her face, "stop… monologuing… you manic… depressive… bitch!" Lurching forward, she bashes her forehead against Rita's in a headbutt that has them both seeing stars, shoving the woman off of her as she crawls shakily for the fallen staff.

She's surprised to find how heavy it is, or maybe she's just too weak, but Trini struggles even just to lift it, waving it desperately at her friends as she tries to cancel whatever magic or spell is keeping them tied down. When that doesn't work, she scrambles for the Green power coin embedded in its center, yanking it free as she discards the staff and limps towards the edge of the dock, ready to fling it as far into the ocean as she possibly can. She doesn't know if creating distance between the two will diminish Rita's power, but she's willing to try anything at this point.

She's two steps from the end of the dock, arm rearing back to toss it into the sea, when a hand grabs her by the shoulder and spins her around. Trini has no time to react, a cry ripping past her lips as Rita reverses the staff and drives its pointed tip through her abdomen, shoving it deeper and deeper until it pierces through to the other side.

Trini slumps.

"A valiant effort, Yellow. As troublesome as you've been, I respect that," Rita commends, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, "But you weren't ready to kill me.  _You're not worthy."_ Then, taking back her coin, she rips the staff free and presses her boot to Trini's chest, kicking her body over the edge and into the water.

And despite the way her friends scream, she never comes back up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to scream at me on tumblr.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and reviews are appreciated!  
> Find me on tumblr: the-effin-mitchell


End file.
